Harry Potter and the change of fate
by harryginnyronhermione4eva
Summary: Hey this is my first fanfic plz read and review What if Harry's parent didn't die on that night? What if Harry got to know the Weasleys sooner? What if Harry now had a sibling to take care of? Read on to find out...
1. Prologue

Chapter 1:

"James, hurry up!" Lily Potter called to her husband. She was waiting for him to come down so they could apparate to the ministry for a party held in honour of a ministry official of some sort. 15-month old Harry Potter was sitting on the floor, playing with his toy snitch. "Snish! Snish!"

"Yes Harry, it's a Snitch," Lily said absently. Then she turned to her son. "Now listen Harry. Aunty Bathilda will be here to look after you. Be good and don't misbehave or I'll lock away your snitch, ok?"Harry stared up at his mother's face then nodded and said, "Dada!" Lily spun around to find James standing in the doorway, smiling at the scene. "Come on Lily, or we're gonna be late!" "But we have to wait for Bathilda; we can't leave Harry on his own!"

Just then, James heard the visitor charms go off; Bathilda Bagshot was here.  
"They're here!" James shouted unnecessarily.

"Shut up James, you'll wake Rose up!" Lily scolded her husband. She listened for the sounds of a crying baby but fortunately, Baby Rose had managed to sleep through it.

The door opened and in came Bathilda, followed by her husband, Henry Bagshot.

"Hello," they chorused.

Lily smiled and quickly told the Bagshots about Harry's and Rose's routines. They each plucked out a hair as the Bagshots had agreed to being polyjuiced to look like them. Then, they apparated out. It waas halloween, so there were a lot of muggle children around town. Thankfully, James and Lily Potter's house was under a secret enchantment called the Fidelius. After the Bagshots had put Harry to sleep, they settled down, each clutching a book from the bookcase in the Potter's living room. They were so engrossed that they didnt here the creaking of a gate. Suddenly, the door waas blasted down. Henry immediately jumped up and pulled out his wand and Bathilda followed suite. Then, there was a cackling sound and in walked Voldemort.

"Well, Well, Well," he said softly.

"Go and get Rose and Harry!" Henry, still in the form of James, shouted at Bathilda, who was still in the form of Lily. She nodded, then ran up the stairs as fast as she could. She scooped up 7 month old Rose, then went to Harry's room and barricaded herself in after placing Rose in a crib she had conjured. She placed a silencing charm and a shield charm around the childrens' cribs so that they wouldn't be awoken from the noise. She heard screams and moans from downstairs, then silence. She suddenly felt a pang of guilt, wishing she could have stayed and helped. She paced the floor so intently that she didnt hear the footsteps coming up towards her. The door was suddenly blasted in. Debris sprayed everywhere and she screamed. She looked up into the face of Voldemort who pointed his wand at her. "Give me the boy..."

"No!" she yelled. "What have you done with my husband?"

Voldemort grinned maliciously. "Killed him." He smirked at her. She immediately felt a pang of remorse, guilt and a desire to protect the children. She gave in to her desire and stood protectively in front of the cribs. "Stand aside, I want the boy."

She felt repulsed. "No!"

"Stand aside you silly girl or I'll kill you as well!"

She brought up her Gryffindoric courage and yelled back, "Kill me then! My life is nothing!" Voldemort raised his wand and muttered, "Avada Kedavra." The last thing she saw before she died was a green jet of light.

* * *

Lily was having fun, dancing with her school friends. James was also enjoying himself, joking and laughing with Moony and Padfoot, his two oldest friends. He noticed the time, then moved away towards Lily who was resting after the dancing.

"Lily, we had better get back, its late." She glanced at her watch, then stood up and said goodbye to her friends. Then she walked over to her husband and the two of them went to one of the apparition points. The first thing they saw was their door blasted down in pieces. "Oh no! The Bagshots are still inside with Harry and Rose!" Lily turned to her husband, then walked towards the house. James hurried after her and held her back. "Voldemort might still be inside, darling." He held out his wand. "Voldemort revelio." Thankfully, no jet of light came out. However, there was an unusual reading. He showed it to Lily and the two of them worked out that Voldemort had been destroyed for the time being. He knew it was safe sohe ran at full speed towards the house jumped through the hole where the door used to be. Lily transfigured her heels into some shoes before running after her husband.

Inside, she found her husband staring transfixed at somehing. "James?" He merely pointed at something in front of him. She stepped to his side and stood, shocked. Henry's body was lying there, twisted, debris covering his torso. Lily finally snapped out of this horror when she could hear a baby's cry. James looked up at the same time so they raced up the stairs. Lily went into Rose's bedroom. The crib was empty but Lily knew she was still here. "Lily! Ive found them, they're safe!" Lily breathed a sigh of relief and went into Harry's room. There,James was holding both of their children, trying to get them to calm down. Lily took Rose from James and started to rock her. soon, she was asleep. By a silent agreement, the elder Potters both made their way downstairs with the children and put them on the sofa which had been untouched by the attack. Then, they started to get rid of the debris and James moved the body of Henry Bagshot, who was now looking like his old self again. After they had repaired the living room and Harry's room, Lily collapsed onto the sofa whilst James floo-called Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts school of witch craft and wizardry.

A/N there you go, the first chapter of my first fanfic, what do you think? plz read n review!


	2. Prologue 2

Chapter 2

**A/N First of all, I would like to say thank you to all the people who have read and reviewed my first chapter. Second of all, I am only 11 years old so this story won't be as good as the others, though I will try my best. Third of all, thank you to that person who gave me some advice. I will try to keep it. Also, to answer a question, I used polyjuiced because I wanted the real Lily and James alive with Voldemort thinking he had killed them. Sorry if it's a bit lame. Now, on with the story!**

"Well, James, Lily, I have an idea of who the betrayer is and I also have an idea of where you two should move for the time being. First of all, I think that the betrayer is Peter-"

Albus was interrupted by James who yelled, "Ha! I knew it!"

"James! Behave and let Albus talk!" Lily scolded. James cleared his throat and motioned for Albus to carry on.

Albus smiled, the familiar twinkle in his eye. "As I was saying, I think the betrayer is none other than your secret keeper. Also, I would like you to move to Hogwarts while I and the others put up some very secure wards around Potter Manor. I gather you have taken the time to collect up all of your belongings?"

"Yes sir." "Of course."

"Well," he continued, "Without any further ado, let me show you to your quarters, of course, fitted with some rooms for Young Harry and Rose."

"Thank you, Headmaster," Lily said politely, and James nodded in agreement. Albus stood up and led them past many familiar doors and portraits. Then, he pushed open a stone door which looked like it was part of the dungeons but was, thankfully, not. They followed Albus through a corridor then turned left and pushed open a door. They were met with the sight of Remus who was brandishing his wand at the bed, which was neatly arranging itself. Lily gasped at the brightness of the room. It looked very cosy and warm, despite the stone outside. They were currently standing in the hallway, and Remus was standing in the bedroom with the door open. He turned at the sound of Lily's voice and was almost bowled over by the hug that the red-head gave him. James grinned at him and Remus smiled back. After a couple of seconds, Lily pulled back, her eyes moist.

"Thank you Remus!" Lily grinned at him, wiping her eyes.

"Oh no, it's all thanks to Albus." Lily turned around to look at the headmaster, only to find that he had left them alone.

"We should thank him tomorrow as well, James," Lily said sternly. Remus bade them goodbye after reminding them to pick up Harry and Rose in the morning. Lily led James to their bedroom and closed the door behind them.

The next day, Lily was the first to wake up. Or so she thought. She rolled over to find James' side of the bed empty but still warm. She buried her face in his pillow, breathing in his scent for a moment before getting up and going to the bathroom. She headed to their make-shift kitchen half an hour later to find James having his breakfast, a stack of pancakes sitting on the table.

"Morning love," James said through a mouthful of pancakes though it sounded more like "'or'ig luv." Lily rolled her eyes but sat down and devoured 4 pancakes covered in thick syrup. (A/N making myself hungry now!) James watched her eat with an amused expression.

"Someone's hungry!" he commented. "Shut up," she shot back through a mouthful of pancakes.

"Language, Lily!" he said, smirking. Lily's expression changed to murderous and James gulped. He knew that redheads had tempers, but he also knew there were none like Lily's.

"S-sorr-ry l-love," he stammered before getting up and running back to the bedroom. Lily glared at his retreating back. With a wave of her wand, the bedroom door slammed shut, effectively locking James out. He turned back, cursing himself.

She beckoned him to her. He came, very, very slowly. Before he could react, she pulled him down into a kiss. He smiled and melted against her. They didn't pick up Harry and Rose until 12:30.

A/N: There you go, another chapter done! That's 2 in 2 days. I know it was a bit short but the main story hasn't started yet, it will in the next few chapters. I haven't got a story planned out, im just making it up as I go along and I'm also taking ideas from other fanfics. Plz stay tuned and read and review!


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Hey guys, I'm back again. Thank you to all my reviewers, in particular, David Fishwick(?) for his reviews and tips. Now, on with the story!**

Chapter 3: 10 years later

"Harry! Give me my sweets back!" Rose Potter yelled at her older brother. Her hazel eyes glinted dangerously as she attempted to get her candy from Harry's grasp high up in the air. Harry laughed and ran up the stairs of Potter Manor, Rose running close behind him. Lily stopped in her tracks just outside the bathroom door.

"Harry! Give your sister her candy back or I'll tell Molly not to come over with Ron!" Lily yelled at her son. Harry stopped abruptly, causing Rose to crash into him. He almost crashed into a wall at Rose's impact, though was saved by his mother's quick spell work which caused him to bounce back up. Rose roared with laughter at her brother, though quickly stopped when her mother glared at her.

"And you, young lady! Go and tidy your bedroom or Ginny won't be coming over either!"

The two quickly retreated up the stairs to their respective rooms, thinking about how they had met the Weasleys...

_Flashback_

_A red-headed boy was walking down the charms corridor on his own, having just finished a detention with Professor Flitwick. A raven-haired boy was crawling towards him. His name was Harry Potter, though the red-head didn't know that. _

_He crouched down beside the little boy, who looked up at him curiously. The redhead gently picked the toddler up and rocked him for a bit. Suddenly he heard running footsteps. He was calm as he knew that it wasn't Filch, the caretaker; he was too old to run. He also knew that it couldn't be Snape or McGonagall. A raven haired man came around the corner, out of breath. _

_"Thank you for finding my son!" he gasped. "You're welcome sir," he replied warmly. "By the way sir, what is your name?"_

_The raven haired man picked up the little boy and hugged him. "First of all, don't call me sir. Second of all, I'm James Potter and this is Harry, my eldest son." The red-head gasped and stared in awe at them. _

_"I'm Bill, Bill Weasley," he said carefully. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Potter. Your son is really cute." _

_"Thank you, Bill. Ok, I'd better be going or Lily will kill me!"_

_Bill laughed. "Is Lily your wife?"_

_James grinned and answered, "Yes. Ok I'm going now, see you around, Bill Weasley."_

_They both started to walk down the corridor. At the corner, James turned left and Bill turned right. _

_A few months later..._

_The Hogwarts express pulled into the station at exactly 11 o'clock. There was a family of red heads waiting there. The Potters were still staying at Hogwarts as the wards were complicated so they took time to erect. They were finished just before the end of term so the Potters decided to come with the rest of the student population on the train. They emerged from the carriage, clutching their children and their luggage. Bill Weasley saw the Potters and walked over to them. _

_"Hello Mrs. Potter, Mr. Potter. Hi Harry, Rose." James smiled and said hello. Bill had decided to introduce the Potters to the rest of the Weasleys, though he hadn't told them yet. _

_"Er, is it ok if I introduce you to my family?"_

_Lily smiled and nodded. She motioned for Bill to lead the way and they followed. He led them towards a group of red-heads. There was a small woman, about the age of 30, who was carrying a sleeping baby girl. There was a small boy standing next to her, clutching her arm. There was a boy who was clutching a toy dragon and another boy with horn-rimmed glasses. There were two identical twins. _

_"Hello Mum," Bill called, rushing towards her to give her a hug. She smiled and hugged him back. _

_"Mum, I'd like you to meet Mr and Mrs. Potter and their children, Harry and Rose."_

_Lily smiled at Mrs. Weasley, who introduced herself as Molly and they each gave each other a one-armed hug, being careful not to squash the girls. _

_Molly introduced her children one by one. "...and this little one is Ginny, my youngest." Lily smiled and also introduced Harry and Rose. Molly invited them to their home, the Burrow which the Potters accepted. Just as they were about to apparate, Rose and Ginny woke up. They both started to cry and their respective mothers rocked them. After the girls were calm, they apparated away to the Burrow. Harry and Ron had instantly become close, being the same age. Rose and Ginny had also become best friends. Before long, they had a routine going; sometimes Ron and Ginny came over to Potter Manor after the wards had been adjusted and sometimes Harry and Rose came over to the Burrow. This was how Harry and Rose had become friends with the Weasleys._

Harry snapped out of his reverie when he heard his mother's voice calling, "Harry, Rose, the Weasleys are here!"

He raced down the stairs and burst into the floo room to find it empty. Confused, he went into the kitchen to find Ron and Ginny sitting at the table.

"Hi Harry!" Ron came up to him. "Nearly time for our Hogwarts letters, eh?"

Harry grinned and turned to find Rose just coming in. "Hey, I thought I heard voices!"

"Well, sis, your best mate's here, so shoo, go have fun." Rose punched her brother not-so-lightly on his arm. He winced and his mother turned from the counter.

"Lunch will be in 10 minutes so stay downstairs, don't go upstairs." Harry nodded and led everyone into the dining room to lay the table.

After an enjoyable lunch, the children went up to their rooms whilst Lily sat down in her potions lab. She was feeling sick for the past few mornings so she decided to take a pregnancy test. She had just finished it when the kids had come running. She decided to tell the family at dinner instead of at lunch. She eventually noticed the time and realised that she had to get some work done. She worked for the department of mysteries, making new spells and potions. She was currently trying to find a cure for lycanthropy. Remus had to go through hell each full moon and she hated that.

After a few hours she had only managed to get two possible spells. She had tried just spells and just potions but they hadn't worked. She then realised that they either had to combine two spells, combine two potions or have a mix of potions and spells. She was currently trying the latter since the former two hadn't worked. She decided to start preparing dinner. She had invited the Weasleys over as well as she only wanted to break the news once.

Once everyone was settled on the long dining table and was full to bursting with Lily's and Molly's cooking, Lily stood up.

"Everyone, I have an announcement to make!" she called. Everyone looked silently at her.

"I'm pregnant."

**A/N: Ha Ha! Cliffhanger! I promise, I'll try to update as soon as I can, though I am a bit busy with school work. Please keep reading and Reviewing! **


	4. Chapter 4: Reaction and letters

**A/N: Thank you to those people who are following/reviewing my story. A special thanks goes to Meg for her comments and encouragement, so this chapter is dedicated to you, Meg!**

Chapter 4: The reaction and Hogwarts letters

_Previously on Change of Fate_

_"Everyone, I have an announcement to make!" she called. Everyone looked silently at her. _

_"I'm pregnant."_

Silence hung in the air for a few seconds. Then there was a loud crash. Lily smirked whilst everyone turned to see the source. James was sprawled on the floor, his face white. He had obviously fainted. Harry and Rose glanced at each other, then burst into laughter, clutching their sides.

Molly turned to Lily. "Did he faint when you told him about Harry and Rose?"

Lily couldn't suppress her laughter. "Yes!"

Then, a groggy voice interrupted their conversation. "Whas happening?"

Lily turned to smirk at him and to help him up. "You fainted when I told you I was pregnant." He went white as a sheet. Lily shoved him into a chair. Ginny smiled at Rose. Ron gave a worried glance at Harry, who intended to use this against his father as blackmail. James drained a glass of orange juice to put some colour back to his face. Then he jumped up and forced Lily to sit down. Then he kept asking her questions such as, "Are you alright? I'm forbidding you to go into the kitchen, the house elves will make the food..."

Lily finally lost her patience and yelled, "James, I'm only 2 months pregnant, I can manage!"

James cringed and started to clear the dishes. He busied himself doing the washing up. During all this, Lily had turned and apologized to the Weasleys. They excused themselves and went to the floo room to floo home. Finally, Harry and Rose went to their rooms so Lily and James were left alone.

"James, you fussed over me when I was pregnant with Harry and Rose, you should know better than that!"

James finally turned to look at his wife who was glaring fiercely at him. He gathered her into his arms and the 2 stayed like that for a long time before heading to bed in silence.

After Harry's birthday at the end of July, the eldest Potter child was anxiously waiting for his Hogwarts letter. Lily had kept on telling him not to worry, that he had done accidental magic when he was younger, but Harry would not budge from his window, only coming out of his room for mealtimes.

Finally, at breakfast one morning, there was an owl in the distance. At first, they couldn't tell what it was until it was about 100 feet from the manor. Harry jumped up eagerly, knocking his orange juice over in his haste and yanked open the window. The owl swooped in, circling the kitchen once before landing on Harry's shoulder. Lily went to feed it a piece of bacon and Rose stroked it longingly.

Harry gently took the envelope from the owl's clutches and ripped it open.

"Mum! Dad! It's my Hogwarts letter!"

Lily smiled at him. James ruffled his hair and said, "I told you you would get your letter."

Harry grinned at his parents before scanning it and showing his dad.

"Well, I think we should take the Weasleys with us to Diagon Alley, providing that they are ready," Lily commented.

Harry nodded and then went into the floo-room to make a floo call to the Burrow. He excitedly chatted to Ron for a couple of minutes, then backed out and raced up the stairs to get changed. On his way down, he ran into James, who he told that Ron and the rest of the Weasleys would be ready in half an hour for the trip to Diagon Alley. James panicked, running up the stairs to his bedroom, washing his face in record time. Lily watched him getting dressed whilst applying her makeup, amused.

Finally, all of the Potters, minus Rose, who was spending the day with Ginny, were assembled in the Floo room. They were meeting the Weasleys at the Leaky Cauldron. The day was going to be a very interesting one, though they didn't know it yet...

**A/N: Ha Ha! Another cliffie! Hope you enjoyed this chapter and thank you to my good friend and editor, Shamsa! Ill try to update as soon as possible, see ya!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Diagon Alley

Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me (Boo Hoo). Only the original characters are mine

**A/N: Thank you to all of those people who have reviewed my story so far. I'm glad you liked James' reaction!**

Harry stumbled out of the fireplace on his hands and knees, coughing. He heard laughter and looked out of teary eyes to see Ginny, Fred and George doubled over. Ron was watching the scene, also laughing. Mrs. Weasley came over to help Harry up. Then she turned to her children with a stern look on her face. Before Mrs. Weasley could say anything, Fred and George said to their mother,

"Mum we were laughing..."

"...because young Harry here..."

"...could not come out..."

"...of the floo standing up..."

"Even after years of travelling by it!" they finished together.

Molly glared at them before turning to face the rest of the Potters, who had arrived during Gred and Forge's show. James grinned and winked at the twins over Molly's shoulder, which earned him a glare from Molly and a smack on the arm from Lily. James smiled sheepishly and the group set off. It consisted of: Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Harry, Mrs. Weasley and Mr and Mrs. Potter. They went through the special entrance and promised Tom to be back in the Leaky Cauldron in time for lunch. However, all was not well. The press had somehow overheard that Harry Potter and his family and friends would be visiting Diagon Alley and the group were swarmed almost immediately. James and Lily did their best to fend off the questions whilst Molly told the group of children to go to Flourish and Blotts before turning back to tackle another group of reporters.

Percy took charge straight away and led them towards the bookshop. Harry and Ron hung back, chatting animatedly. Occasionally, Harry would glance back to see how their parents were getting on with the reporters. James had managed to force most of them back and they were now working their way towards the children. Harry ducked under Percy's outstretched arm and dug in his pocket to pull out his booklist. Harry searched all of his pockets but couldn't find it. What had happened to it?

The bell over the door rang and Harry turned to see his parents and Mrs. Weasley entering the shop with flushed faces. This worried Harry but he didn't have time to ponder over it. He hurried over to his father.

"Dad, I can't find my booklist, have you seen it?"

James pretended to look thoughtful before digging into the front pocket of his shirt and pulling out some spare pieces of parchment.

"Dad!" Harry whined. James grinned and handed Harry his booklist. "I picked it up from the street, I saw you drop it."

"Thanks Dad." Harry grinned gratefully and turned away from his father to catch up with his best mate. This, however, was just the beginning of troubles for the group. After they had moved from the bookshop, they went into Madam Malkin's to get some school robes. When they got there, they heard a familiar, drawling voice.

"...Mother, I don't like this one! What about the silk ones?" came Draco Malfoy's voice. His father worked along with Harry's father in the Ministry, although they were in different departments. Lucius Malfoy and James Potter didn't get along for as long as they could remember. Lucius had always been cold towards James and it didn't help when James was forced to go into hiding. Lucius had always made snide remarks about James and his family, and although James was itching to take out his wand and hex the git into the next millennium, he didn't for the sake of Lily and the rest of the Potters.

"Now, now Draco," came Narcissa Malfoy's voice. "You know that you are not allowed to wear silk robes, it says, 'plain robes only' on the booklist."

"But Moth-"Draco Malfoy stopped talking when he saw the group huddled in the corner. Narcissa was puzzled when her son stopped talking, but followed his gaze. Her stony grey eyes stopped on the group. James stepped forward towards Mrs. Malfoy, shielding his children.

"Mrs. Malfoy," he said coldly.

"Mr. Potter." She spoke as if she had smelt something bad. She stepped away and hurriedly paid Madam Malkin for Draco's robes and left the shop. Madam Malkin was confused but didn't say anything. She measured Percy, Gred, Forge, Ron and Harry. They left the shop, their money bags considerably lighter. They went to Magical Menagerie, where Harry and Ron picked out their owls for the new school. Molly didn't want Ron to get a familiar as it was expensive but Harry offered to pay for it in return for Ron doing his chores for a month at Potter Manor. Although they had house elves, Lily and James made sure that Harry and Rose had jobs to do every week so that there was less pressure on the house elves. Lily also helped the house elves in the kitchen, though they protested.

Molly thought about this for a second, then nodded. She hated people giving charity but agreed as Errol was getting old and they needed a way to communicate. Ron and Harry wandered around the shop, glancing at various owls. Finally, Harry decided on a snowy owl, which the man said was the last one in the shop. Ron chose a tawny owl which had golden eyes. As he petted it nervously, it hooted and flew towards the counter. He followed it and watched as Harry paid for it. The owls in cages, they left the shop and headed for the Leaky Cauldron.

After a late lunch, they headed back to their respective homes with the Potters promising to be over for dinner at the Burrow. James helped Harry to put his stuff in his room and he started to unpack, first letting Hedwig, his owl, out into the grounds of Potter Manor.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully with Harry relaxing without his little sister disturbing him. Tonight's dinner was going to be very interesting...

**A/N: Well? What did you think? Now please will you leave me a review? Pweety Please?**


	6. Dinner at the Burrow

**Chapter 6: Dinner at the Burrow**

**A/N: Sorry for the late post, I didn't have that much time to write and real life had to be attended to. Hope you enjoy and plz plz plz leave me a review, I really appreciate your comments!**

Harry and his parents flooed over to the Burrow at seven that night. James and Lily went first, Lily because she wanted to help Molly with the food and James because he wanted to see Harry fall out of the floo. Of course, he didn't voice that thought to either his wife or son. Harry was suspicious as to why his father was smirking but didn't say anything. He had a feeling as to why his father and the twins were grinning at him but decided to let it pass.

He wandered into the kitchen and out into the garden to find Ron after being greeted by Mrs. Weasley and saw him hurriedly putting the knives and forks on the modified table, trying to get to the food as soon as possible. Harry grinned to himself and walked briskly towards his best mate.

"Hey Ron! Over here!" Ron looked up and grinned. He held the cutlery out and together, they set up the table.

"Where's Rose and Ginny?" Harry asked. Ron shrugged, "They went swimming about an hour ago."

Just then he spotted 2 familiar red heads walking up the path to the Burrow. The two of them walked back up to the house and headed into the kitchen to bring the food out. They found Rose hugging her mother. Ginny blushed when she saw Harry. He quickly busied himself picking up some random dishes and handed them to Ron, who took them eagerly. He was then handed some others by Mrs. Weasley after receiving a bone crushing hug from her.

Meanwhile, James was chatting to Fred and George whilst waiting for Arthur Weasley to come home from work.

"Isn't it funny that..." started Fred (Or was it George?).

"Young Harry cannot step out..." continued George (Or was it Fred?).

"Of the Floo Network without..." Fred (Or is it George?) said.

"Falling over his feet," they finished together.

James guffawed and nodded his approval. "How about we prank Harry?"

The twins nodded and the three put their heads together to confer. This was interrupted a few minutes later by the arrival of Arthur Weasley and the voice of Lily Potter.

After Lily had greeted Molly, they started to work together on finishing the cooking, both the Magical and Muggle way. A few seconds later, Harry had walked through and she greeted him. Molly and Lily chatted away. Molly wanted to know how Lily was getting on being pregnant again after so long. She was fine but was worried because James had started to stay away from home for so long. He hadn't told her what it was yet but promised to tell her very soon, 'after the details were finalized.' Lily was confused as to what this meant but didn't ponder on this for long.

Rose and Ginny came through minutes later and stood in there for a bit, chatting to their mothers collectively. When Harry and Ron came by seconds later, Lily noticed that Ginny blushed when Harry said hello to her. She found this a little odd and nudged Molly after the children had left. She went over to bring the rest of the dishes and to call James in, who was followed by Arthur, Fred and George.

Ginny and Rose had a wonderful day. The sun was out so they went flying before stopping in for lunch. After this, they went to Ginny's room and chatted for a long time. This was unplanned as they had only intended to drop off Rose's rucksack. At about five o'clock, they went downstairs to get a snack and to chat to Mrs. Weasley. Ron was degnoming the garden. They decided to go swimming as the day was still warm and ventured out towards the lake.

Then, Rose spotted Harry talking to Ron so they got out of the water and headed over to the Burrow. The two had walked back to the Burrow and into the kitchen where Lily and Molly were.

"Hello, Mrs. Potter, Mum." "Hello Mum, Mrs. Weasley." Rose hugged her mother and the four of them started to talk. Just then, the door opened. Harry and Ron came in. Ginny blushed when Harry said hi to her and then scolded herself. _'Why do I have to blush now? Why?' _Ginny blushed further and was given a curious look by her brother but thankfully, he kept his mouth shut.

Then, Lily called her husband and in came Mr. Potter, followed by her father and twin brothers.

"Hey look, George, "said Fred, then added in a loud whisper, "Gin Gin and Rosie have come in, let's go torment them!"

Ginny and Rose glared at them for using their hated nicknames and Molly looked sternly at her sons and out her hands on her hips. "You'll do no such thing, boys. If I find you have done anything to your siblings OR the Potters, you'll be grounded for a week, understood?"

Fred and George looked at each other, then answered meekly, "Yes Mum!" When their mother's back was turned, Fred and George grinned at each other.

"Now, now boys, behave," Arthur Weasley said though he had a very small smile on his face. Lily rolled her eyes and herded everyone outside after Molly called Bill, Charlie and Percy. They found the two boys talking animatedly outside although Ron was eyeing the food every so often. His eyes lit up when he saw that the group was outside and he sat down. Everyone followed suite and soon, the summer air was filled with the aroma of food. Harry and Ginny both had butterflies in their stomach, though both didn't know what that the other was feeling the same. Harry accidentally knocked over his glass of pumpkin juice twice and Ginny accidentally put her arm in the roast chicken twice and the chilli sauce once. Both were scolded by their mother. When the time came to put the dishes, they were the first to stand up. Ginny started to gather the plates whilst Harry picked up some sauces to take inside. Harry felt dizzy as he walked back up the lawn. Ginny gave a small gasp and almost dropped the dishes that she was carrying. She followed Harry up the lawn. Suddenly, they both felt another, stronger, bout of dizziness. At the same time, both of them dropped to the ground with a crash.


	7. The soul bond

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who has reviewed my story, in particular, Cosmyk Angel**

_Previously on Change of Fate:_ _Suddenly, they both felt another, stronger, bout of dizziness. At the same time, both of them dropped to the ground with a crash._

The group all looked up in shock. Ginny was sprawled on the floor on the middle of the lawn. Harry was covered in sauce and chicken and was nearer the door. As the group watched, both Harry and Ginny were pulled towards each other by an invisible force and were layed, side by side, next to each other. They were holding hands. Bill was the first to react. "Ginny!" he yelled. He started to run forward towards the house followed by Arthur, James, Charlie, Fred, George and Ron. Lily and Molly followed at a slower pace since Lily was pregnant and was feeling slightly nauseous, though it passed. Percy was still in shock and was still at the table.

Bill knelt down next to Ginny and James ran over to Harry's other side. They checked their pulses and relaxed when they found that both were still breathing. The rest crowded around, silent. Lily came over and knelt down in between the 2 children. Bill looked up at the table and saw Percy still sitting there. "Oi! Percy! Get over here!" Charlie roared, following his brother's gaze. Percy immediately stood up and jogged over to them, pushing up his glasses on the way. "You took your time," Fred muttered. Percy snorted but didn't reply.

Arthur and James lifted up their respective children, breaking the contact, but were surprised when they started to squirm. James looked at his friend and the 2 of them put the children on the ground. Immediately, they relaxed and the connection resumed between them. Lily looked on, confused but soon realised what this meant since she worked in the department of mysteries.

She suggested that they put them on stretchers and to make sure that their hands were still touching. The group moved towards the house, Molly guiding the stretchers. Lily pointed her wand at the table and banished the dishes to the kitchen. She left the table with Bill with instructions to put it away carefully and then followed the group into the house.

Inside, the two men had out Harry and Ginny on to the sofa and were watching them. After checking their pulses, they confirmed that the 2 were sleeping. Again, they attempted to move them but it didn't work. As soon as they did this, Harry began gasping as if he couldn't breathe. He wriggled so much that he fell out of James' arm onto the sofa beside Ginny, his hand resting gently on her's. They stopped and started to breathe peacefully. Lily, who had come in whilst this was taking place, scolded James and said, "Don't, I've got a theory, but I have to ask Professor Dumbledore first."

James nodded and started to pace in front of the sofa just as Bill came inside. He found his father sitting down in the armchair, his head in his hands. James was pacing in front of the couch where his sister and Harry were lying down. As he watched, they shifted so that Ginny's head was resting on Harry's chest. A small smile appeared on Harry's face. He saw Lily bent over the fireplace, evidently talking to Professor Dumbledore. His mother came in at that moment and saw that Bill was back. They sat down in one of the remaining chairs and waited in silence.

Half an hour later, Charlie came in. "I've managed to get them to settle down. They wouldn't go to their rooms so I've let them stay in Ron's room for the time being..." he trailed off. Molly nodded and Bill gestured to his chair from which he stood up. Charlie accepted it gratefully and Bill sat on the floor for more waiting.

_One hour previously..._

Charlie, Percy, Fred, George and Ron headed up the stairs. Usually, Percy would be very bossy in these circumstances but he was silent. Even the twins were unusually quite. On the first floor, they stopped to drop Percy off to his room but he refused to go. Charlie persisted with him but to no avail. "I want to know everything that's going on," he said stubbornly.

Charlie rolled his eyes but continued on to the second floor. Fred and George stayed as well, refusing to go to their room. "One of our sisters is in a very weird situation, we want to know what's going on," George said. Charlie was always able to tell them apart, the only person aside from their parents and Ginny. He was confused by George's statement, especially the part about, "One of our sisters," but decided to let it pass for the time being. Ron was silent through all of this. Finally, on the third floor, they had reached Ron's room.

"You have to go somewhere, since you're all too young, yes, even you Percy, "Charlie added as Percy protested at his statement. Fred suddenly spoke up. "How about we all camp out in Ron's room while we wait for some news?" he said.

Everyone nodded, even Percy, though it was grudgingly, and turned to Charlie for approval. He wasted no time in nodding and waved his wand to conjure some sleeping bags. They arranged themselves neatly on the floor of Ron's bedroom and everyone hurried to their sleeping bags, or, in Ron's case, his bed. Once everyone was tucked in, Charlie silently left the room and headed down to the living room. He checked his watch and realised that it had taken over an hour to get them settled down. He walked into the living room and sat down on Bill's chair. He flopped down onto the floor and they waited in silence.

5 minutes after Charlie had come down the stairs, Lily pulled her head out of the fireplace, though kept her hand in it so that the contact was not broken.

"Molly, Arthur, Dumbledore's asking if he can come over to the Burrow right away, he needs to discuss something with the four of us- I'll ask Albus if you 2 can join-about their condition." Bill and Charlie had protested while Lily was talking.

Molly gladly agreed and Lily momentarily disappeared. Lily brushed the soot out of her clothes and James stood up to get the soot out of her clothes. He had long since stopped pacing since Arthur had told him that the carpet would wear a hole in it. The fireplace flashed and Dumbledore stepped out gracefully. Everyone stood up to greet him and sat down. He conjured a big, plush armchair and sank into it.

Everyone waited patiently whilst Dumbledore started to speak. Ginny and Harry were still asleep though James cast some silencing charms just in case they could hear everything said. After 2 hours of talking where Lily revealed some confidential information after all of them taking an oath (Not the unbreakable vow, something of her own creation).

The time was now one o'clock in the morning. Everyone was tired. Dumbledore advised against moving the sleeping kids in case of some dangerous side effects so they were left in peace. A duvet was placed over them. Molly invited the Potters to stay whilst Harry was here and they happily accepted. After a quick trip to Potter Manor, James returned and came to the Burrow. As the 4 youngest Weasleys were sleeping in Ron's room, there was enough room for the Potters. They were placed in Percy's room after his bed was transfigured from a single to a double. This made it easier for them to get comfortable.

Molly led Arthur up to their bedroom and shut the door behind them. They quickly undressed and slid into bed, snuggled up. "I can't believe what has happened today," Molly said softly. "First it was the reporters, now Ginevra's possibly formed a soul bond with Harry Potter, of all people."

Arthur stroked her hair. "You don't like him? He's a really nice boy, Molly."

Molly sighed. "It's not that I don't like him, of course he's a lovely person, it's just that, you know about the Prophecy that Sybill made all those years ago, Harry has to defeat You-know-who or be killed by that monster." She shuddered. "If Ginny has a soul bond with that poor boy, it means that she is now by Harry's side through all of this. If he doesn't pull through, it means that she won't be able to either, and I'm worried about losing her and him."

Arthur sighed and slowly, the 2 went to sleep.

Lily and James were comfortable in their bed. Today was a very hectic day. They climbed into bed in silence, both thinking about what had happened to their eldest child and son. Lily rested a hand on her still flat stomach and James rested his hand on top. Both fell asleep in that position, James snoring softly.

Ginny awoke the next day at dawn, wondering where she was. She saw an unknown person's hand on a red surface and realised she was on the couch. She lifted her head up and saw jet-black hair. There were only 2 people she knew who had black hair and she knew that it couldn't possibly be James. She realised that it was Harry and blushed furiously. His arm was wrapped around her and her head had been rested on his chest. She gently unwound his arm from her body, but kept his hand in hers, and watched him sleep. He looked really cute and she loved it. Heck, she loved _him._ She stayed in that position for a couple more minutes before getting up and dropping his hand. She began to feel dizzy as soon as she let go of his hand, and grabbed the nearest thing to steady herself, which happened to be Harry. The moment her skin came into contact with his, her vision cleared. Confused and having a pressing force on her bladder, she decided to try it again. This time she was more successful and managed to go up the one flight of stairs to the bathroom. She went downstairs after brushing her teeth and found Harry still asleep. She gently shook him and felt an emotion that wasn't her own: Tiredness. She was fully awake from the cold water that she used to splash herself which she did every morning and this couldn't possibly be her own.

Harry rubbed his eyes and sat up, blinking blearily. He saw Ginny sitting next to him and turned red. She smiled and he felt butterflies in his stomach that didn't used to come when he had seen her smile before.

"You're finally awake," she commented. Harry nodded dumbly and stood up. They headed to the kitchen and began to make breakfast.


	8. The revealing of the bond and a surprise

**Chapter 8: The revealing of the Bond and a surprise**

Molly awoke to the smell of burning, or so she thought. She ran downstairs to find her daughter cooking breakfast with Harry. She waited in the doorway and watched them work together for a bit. She watched as Ginny passed Harry the packet of bacon and saw that he was very careful in working at the cooker. They were both smiling as they worked, oblivious to the fact that Ginny's mother was watching them. When they turned , they jumped at the sight of Molly standing in the doorway.

"Mrs. Weasley, w-we were j-just c-cooking b-b-breakfast f-for e-everyone," Harry stuttered. Ginny smirked at the expression on his face and Molly smiled at the 2 of them.

"Thank you, darlings but you didn't have to," she said warmly. She started to make the tea whilst Harry and Ginny set the table and put out some cups. After this, they went to wake up everyone. Harry first went to his parents' room to wake them up and Ginny went to Bill and Charlie's which was on the same floor. She went to pick up 2 water bombs that were on the floor in a box under Charlie's bunk. They thought that she didn't know about them and for the first time today, she decided to pelt them one each and to yell in their ears if they still didn't wake up.

She stepped away from the bed but just before she threw them, Harry came behind her. She gasped but managed not to drop the bomb or to scream.

"What are you doing?" he whispered. She grinned and told him over Bill and Charlie's snores. He laughed and grabbed another bomb from her.

"After 3," she muttered. "1, 2, 3, now!" With that, they let rip.

Immediately, they both woke up, yelling.

"Ginny! Why did you do that?" they yelled in unison, having not noticed Harry, who was doubled over, clutching his sides.

"It was both of us," he wheezed over his laughter.

Bill grabbed his wand and pointed it at the direction of the sound. Harry had hidden around some boxes that were at the foot of the bunk bed. He stepped out and moved away from the path of his wand.

"This calls for war," Charlie growled. Just then, James appeared at the doorway. "What happened?"

Bill answered. "Gin-Gin and your son decided to wake us up by some water bombs that we thought they didn't know about."

James grinned and ruffled his son's hair. "You're a true son of a marauder!" Charlie growled and reached for his wand but was too late; Ginny was fuming over the fact that Bill had used her hated nickname and had grabbed his wand.

James shook his head and left the room with Harry and Ginny. They quickly made their way upstairs to wake up the rest of the Weasleys, though this time, without the water bombs.

Finally, they went downstairs and sat down to some breakfast. Molly cast a preserving charm on everything so it was still warm. After a hearty meal, they went to change and freshen up. By the time they had changed, Ron was just dragging himself down the stairs followed by Fred and George.

The two went out to play and Rose followed after her meal. Ron was the last to join them and the four went out to swim.

Being August, the day was quite warm. After swimming, they decided to play Quidditch with siblings vs. Siblings. Harry and Rose won by 1 goal and they were overjoyed. Ron and Ginny landed, defeated. Suddenly Harry caught a glimpse of the orchard form where he was. He was facing away from the orchard, towards the barn and the Potters were still up in the air whilst the view was from the ground. He shook his head and after a moment, it cleared.

"Harry? Hello, Harry!" Rose waved her hand in front of her brother's face and he stared at her. "What?"

Rose sighed. "You were unfocused for a second, what happened?"

Harry exhaled. He decided after a moment to tell his sister. "I suddenly found myself looking at the orchard and I can't possibly be seeing it, we're facing towards the barn."

Rose nodded and looked around for Ginny. She saw Ron watching them and called to him. "Ron? Ron! Where's Ginny gone?" she yelled.

"She's gone to the orchard! Why?!" he called back.

Rose shook her head and looked at Harry. His face was red and he was looking confused.

She rolled her eyes and landed. She ran to the house and saw everyone sitting in the living room. Percy, Fred and George were doing their homework, the twins most likely forced by their mother. The 13 year old twins (they had just finished their second year (A/N: Lol I can do maths!)) were sitting in separate corners of the room and had their backs to each other.

Rose cautiously approached Percy. "Percy, where are mum and dad?"

Percy looked up. "Your parents are at the ministry and have asked for you and your brother to stay here whilst they are away until tonight," he said stiffly. '_o-o-oka-a-ay...'_ thought Rose. Percy was weird.

The day passed with no interruptions. Then, it was dinner time. Once again, they had to eat outside and a wonderful meal was prepared, courtesy of Molly, Lily, and 1 of the Potter house elves, though Molly insisted that she would be able to make it by herself.

After a very enjoyable dinner in which there were no interruptions, the four adults stood up.

"First of all, we would like to say thank you to you Weasleys for letting us stay here due to the circumstances," James started. Harry and Rose stood up and started to clap with their parents. The Weasleys blushed but said thank you to the Potters.

Lily continued. "Next, as you know, Harry and Ginny fainted yesterday and we now know the reason for it. They are soul bonded. Bill Charlie and Percy gasped. The others were confused. Over the next hour, the Weasley children received lots of information about a soul bond and what it meant for Harry and Ginny. They were also told of some of the symptoms which explained the dizziness and Harry's ability to see the Orchard.

Still, they were not done. There was one more announcement.

James grinned from ear to ear. "Well, kids, as you know, me and my beautiful wife," Lily smacked his arm, "Ouch- as I was saying, my wife and I were out all day for a Wizengamot meeting. They decided to elect a new minister seeing as Fudge was being a bit stupid. Guess what?"

Everyone started talking excitedly until Molly let red sparks fly out of her wand. "Let him talk!"

They stopped talking.

"I'm the new minister for magic!"

**A/N: Well, what did you think? Leave me a review please...**


	9. No title

**Chapter 9**

**A/N: Some people were complaining that the previous chapter wasn't focused on Harry and Ginny enough so this chapter is going to be from the beginning of the day again but from Harry and Ginny's POV. Apologies if there are some changes to the previous chapter. Also, **

Ginny awoke to find a rather comfortable pillow underneath her head. She lay there for a moment, enjoying the feel of it under her head before lifting it up. She was surprised and a little embarrassed to find that it was Harry's chest that she was resting on. This was the boy she loved since she was 6 years old and her parents actually let her sleep with him! She shifted his arm from around her and crept up the stairs to the bathroom. After 10 minutes, she went down to wake Harry up. He was snoring softly and she smiled to herself. She gently shook him and twitched.

"Where am I?" he mumbled, still half asleep.

"You're at the Burrow, on the sofa," she whispered.

He jumped at her voice and rolled over to face her. She held out a hand and he hauled himself up, both of them blushing. They headed to the kitchen, Harry rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Both wanted to ask the other questions though they were afraid of the answers so kept silent. They worked quietly, occasionally asking one another to, "Pass the salt," or "Can I have the packet of Bacon?"

Harry stared intently at the pan of Bacon that he was frying, not trusting himself not to blush if he saw Ginny. He placed them on a plate and turned to Ginny who had just finished making toast. They turned at the same time to find Molly Weasley standing in the doorway.

"Mrs. Weasley, w-we were j-just c-cooking b-b-breakfast f-for e-everyone," Harry stuttered. Ginny smirked at the expression on his face and Molly smiled at the 2 of them.

"That's ok darlings but you didn't have to," she said warmly. Ginny smirked at him and took the plate from him. Molly bustled around the kitchen and started to make a pot of tea and a pot of coffee for everyone.

Soon afterwards, Harry and Ginny were finished eating and drinking and Molly told them to go and wake everyone else up. Harry and Ginny made their way upstairs to the first floor. Harry headed to Percy's room where his parents were and gently woke them up.

Ginny silently opened the door to the bedroom of her eldest brothers and crept inside silently. She went to the bunk bed and pulled out a box that neither of her brothers knew that she knew about. She opened the lid and pulled out 2 water bombs. This was the first time that she was going to use them, might as well be for a good cause. She took aim at Bill's bunk, failing to notice the door opening and shutting once. Just as she was about to throw it, a hand fell onto her shoulder. She gasped but kept a firm grip on the water bombs.

"What are you doing, Ginny?" a voice whispered. She grinned.

"I'm going to hit Bill and Charlie with water bombs to wake them up Harry, you want 1?"

Harry grinned broadly. "Gimme!"

She handed him a water bomb and took aim.

"After 3," she muttered. "1, 2, 3, now!" With that, they let rip.

Harry ran towards the door and hid at the foot of the bed as they woke up immediately.

"Ginny! Why did you do that for?" They yelled in unison, having not noticed Harry, who was doubled over, clutching his sides.

"It was both of us," he wheezed over his laughter. Bill grabbed his wand and pointed it at the direction of the sound. Harry had hidden behind some boxes and stepped out when he heard the movement, away from the path of the wand.

Charlie glared at them. "This calls for war," he growled. Just then, James appeared at the doorway. "What happened?"

Bill answered for the 2 of them. "Gin-Gin and your son decided to wake us up by some water bombs that were underneath _our_ bed."

James grinned and ruffled his son's hair. "You're a true son of a marauder!" Charlie growled again and reached for his wand but it was too late: Ginny was fuming over the fact that Bill had used her hated nickname and had grabbed it before he could.

James shook his head and went out of the room, followed by Harry and Ginny. The two children made their way outside to start to play whilst the others sat down after being awakened by Arthur, since Harry and Ginny didn't do it. Soon after, Rose and Ron joined them. Since the day was quite hot, the four youngsters decided to go swimming. Harry's breath was lodged in his throat at the sight of Ginny in her swim suit. She looked quite stunning for a 9 year old. The next week was her's and Rose's birthdays, on the same day. The girls were really looking forward to it and they could chat almost about nothing else.

* * *

After an enjoyable 2 hours of swimming, they went back to the house for a snack and a glass of pumpkin juice before going to play some 2 on 2 Quidditch, siblings vs. Siblings. Harry and Rose won the game after 3 hours by 1 goal, the winner being the first to 500 points. There was a break about half-way through for lunch before the kids returned. Whilst Harry and Rose were celebrating up in the air, Ron and Ginny had landed. Ginny headed off to the Orchard whilst Ron took a quick walk around the Barn and Chicken coop. While Harry was hugging his sister, he suddenly caught a glimpse of a tree with apples on it.

Rose looked curiously at her brother who had stiffened and let go of her. She waved her hand in front of his face. "Harry? Hello, Harry!" he suddenly snapped out of whatever he was in.

"What?"

Rose rolled her eyes. "You were unfocused and stiff for a moment, what happened?"

Harry quickly had a silent debate as to whether he should tell his sister or not. After a second, he decided to tell her. He explained that he had seen a tree with apples on it though it was impossible to see trees since they were facing the barn which had no tress around it whatsoever.

Rose looked at Ron who was watching them. She flew towards him, landing neatly beside him.

"Ron, have you seen Ginny? Do you know where she went?"

Ron thought for a moment before replying, "I think she went to the Orchard."

Rose smirked for a moment before saying thanks and heading to the Burrow to find her parents. Ron looked at Harry with a confused glance before heading inside. Harry followed his best mate and sister.

Inside, they found Rose talking to Percy, though her words were inaudible. After a second, Rose moved outside and headed to the clump of trees, presumably to find Ginny. The guys and girls spent the rest of the day apart, with the boys playing some more Quidditch and the girls hanging out in the woods and in Ginny's bedroom.

Dinner that night was another interesting event. After a very enjoyable meal, Lily and James stood up. They started by thanking the Weasleys for letting them stay at the Burrow due to the incidents.

"Also, as you know, both Ginny and Harry fainted yesterday." This caused wolf whistles from Bill and Charlie and blushes from the 2 mentioned.

Arthur glared at the boys and motioned for Lily to continue. "The reason for this was that they are now what we in the wizarding world call soul bonded. There were gasps from Bill, Charlie and Percy. The younger 7 children were confused as neither the rest of the Weasleys nor the Potters knew what a soul bond was. Over the next 2 hours, the main concept of a soul bond was explained to the children with the 3 eldest Weasleys adding in bits from time to time.

Both Harry and Ginny were highly embarrassed after this. They avoided each other's gaze and shifted in their chairs. Harry had also told everyone about him seeing the orchard even when he wasn't facing it and was told that it was a symptom of a soul bond. They were also told that it would occur to Ginny as well. Eventually, Albus Dumbledore would teach them how to control this and other symptoms of a soul bond, though the 2 were not told about this, their parents deciding to let them experience them themselves.

After taking a swig of Butterbeer, James stood up, getting everyone's attention. The time was past midnight and everyone was tired. This announcement, however, made everyone wide awake once more.

James cleared his throat and Lily put a comforting hand on his arm.

"Well, you know that me and my beautiful wife-"he got a slap on the arm for that and he rolled his eye and started again. "Well, you know that me and my wife were out today. Well, the reason is this. I'm the new Minister for Magic."


	10. The journey to Hogwarts

**Chapter 10: The journey to Hogwarts**

**A/N: Thank you to those who have read and reviewed my story so far. Please continue the support! Also, sorry for the late update, I've been very, very busy these past weeks. **

_Previously on Change of Fate:_

_"Well, you know that me and my beautiful wife-"he got a slap on the arm for that and he rolled his eye and started again. "Well, you know that me and my wife were out today. Well, the reason is this. I'm the new Minister for Magic."_

The Weasleys gasped. Harry and Rose looked at each other incredulously. Rose was the first to stand up and give her father a hug. Harry followed suit and soon the rest of the Weasleys were crowded round the four, giving them hugs and pats on the back.

Molly sent the younger kids up to bed as it was nearly 2 in the morning. Harry and Ginny had awkwardly given each other a pat on the back before retreating and going their separate ways. Although Lily had wanted to go home, she decided to stay one more night seeing as it was late and her children were tired. Rose followed Ginny into her bedroom whilst Harry and Ron went to his bedroom at the top of the house.

Over the next week, the Weasleys and Potters frequently visited each other. Harry and Ginny finally plucked up the courage to talk after her's and Rose's birthday party. Ginny had eaten her cake and was just finishing opening her presents when Harry came over to her.

"We need to talk," he said firmly although his cheeks were pink. Ginny nodded and followed him into his room at Potter Manor. He closed the door and invited Ginny to sit on his bed.

"So, we're bonded but we can't keep away from each other forever," Harry began. Ginny nodded but kept her eyes on the bed. Harry moved over to sit next to her. She looked up fearfully but saw that Harry was warm, comforting and inviting so she decided to say something.

"I know Harry but you're going to Hogwarts soon and I won't be able to see my bond mate for a long time so won't it be better if we just avoid each other?"

Harry sighed. "If Ron and I are going away and not going to see you for ages, we might as well spend all our time together," he replied.

Ginny looked at him with watery eyes. "I know we've only been bonded for a week but what if something happens to you while you're away? Mum said that if one of us gets hurt, the other can feel it, remember?"

Harry clasped her hand. "Look, nothing's gonna happen to me; we're only first years, right? Nothing happens to first years except getting homework and detentions."

Ginny smiled at him. Harry thought of her lying on the grass with a book. He pictured her red hair falling in front of her face, her having fun whilst he was away. _"Ginny's beautiful," _he thought.

Ginny watched Harry fall into a deep thought, her hand still in him. Suddenly, she heard a voice in her head. She heard, "_Ginny's beautiful." _She jumped and her hand came out from under Harry's who jumped out of his reverie.

"What happened Ginny?" he asked her. She looked into his eyes and wondered whether to tell him or not.

"Um, I heard a voice in my head and it said that I was beautiful." She blushed whilst she said this. A glance at Harry gave her the answer she needed. His face was flushed. It looked worthy of the Weasleys.

Ginny suddenly burst out laughing. "Your face is sooooooo funny!" she grinned at him.

Harry felt irritated but that was soon replaced by a feeling that wasn't his own: Glee. He felt weird inside but ignored it for the moment. He stood up and motioned for Ginny to follow him. They made their way down the steps of Potter Manor and out onto the porch. Rose looked curiously at them but didn't say a word for which Harry was grateful.

They chatted for a while before James started a game of Quidditch. There were enough people to have a full game. Harry and Charlie were the seekers since games over the years showed Harry to be perfect material for a seeker. Fred and George were beaters for 1 team and James and Remus were beaters on the other team. Ginny, Rose and Bill were chasers for one team whereas Percy, Lily and Molly, surprisingly were chasers for other. Sirius and Ron were the keepers. Although James objected to Lily playing Quidditch, she reassured him that she was fine and showed him a passage in a book that said that pregnant women could pay Quidditch until they were 6 months along. James reluctantly agreed but kept a close watch on her throughout the game. Arthur offered to be the referee since he didn't want to play. Percy and Molly were quite good on in the air considering they didn't fly that much. James and Bill were team captains and soon, the game kicked off. Harry caught the snitch about 2 hours into the game, winning the match for his team. His smaller size gave him an advantage over Charlie.

Harry, Ginny, Rose, Bill, James, Remus and Ron celebrated Harry's win whilst the others touched down and headed to the porch where glasses of lemonade were waiting for them, courtesy of Blinky, Lotus and Mimi, their 3 house elves.

Later on, Harry and Ginny took their parents aside to talk to them about the new symptoms that had occurred. They explained that they had left the party to talk and when these took place at points during the conversation. The parents had explained to them that both symptoms were good as they could feel what the other was feeling and they could also converse telepathically.

Soon, it was time for bed. The Weasleys had agreed having a sleepover for the girls and since the Potter family had stayed at the Burrow, they decided to stay at the Manor. Also, seeing as it was nearly time for going to Hogwarts, the Potters had already decided to let the Weasleys stay at the Manor until it was time for the kids to go to Hogwarts.

A week later, Professor Dumbledore flooed into the Manor. He had a proposition for the Potters' daughter, Rose. He had sensed that she would be the perfect Healer material so had decided to let her come to school one year earlier to study some Healer books. Also, seeing as she would be helping Poppy, she would be considered a member of staff. However, she would be staying with the first years, providing she and her parents consented.

He went into the kitchen to find them eating breakfast. All of them had their backs to the door and were talking loudly so none of them noticed him entering.

"Good Morning, Lily, James, Weasleys," he said politely. All of them jumped, startled. Before registering who it was, James had his wand out and was pointing at Professor Dumbledore. As an Auror, they were trained to be alert at all times. Of course, as Minister of Magic, he had to be even more alert as anyone could walk in, despite their wards.

Lily turned quickly and held her wand aloft next to her husband's. She hurriedly put it down as she realised who it was. "Sorry, Professor," she mumbled.

Dumbledore smiled. "It's ok, my dear. I have come to talk to you and your daughter."

James and Lily exchanged glances. The Weasleys chatted amongst themselves, save Ginny and Percy. Harry and Rose looked at each other.

_'What would Professor Dumbledore want to do with Rose? She's starting Hogwarts next year, not his year," _Harry thought.

Suddenly he heard another, amused voice. _'I've got no idea but the only thing I know is that if she gets to go to Hogwarts a year earlier, I'll be all alone with no one except my mother!"_

Harry glanced at her across the table. He caught her eye and winked. _'Well, let's hope that you'll still have a play mate next year," _he answered.

Over in the corner of the kitchen, Albus was talking to James and Lily. "I have a preposition for your daughter but I need your consent as well as hers if I want to start this course," he began.

James called Rose over his shoulder and the 3 of them moved away to the sitting room. Dumbledore cast some charms so that even if anyone walked into the room, they couldn't hear what was being said.

"Well, Rose, Poppy and I think that you have the makings of a perfect Healer which is why Minerva, Poppy and I have decided to let you start school a year early. We also think that you would be able to deal with both the healer course and your school work as well. You will be a member of staff as well as a student at Hogwarts. Every time a student is hurt, you will be called out of class to see how Poppy deals with them. Do you agree to this?" Dumbledore looked at Rose who stared back incredulously. She was being given a chance to go to school 1 year earlier! Not many people got an opportunity like this so she decided to take this chance.

"Yes," she replied firmly. She looked at her parents for support. Her mother was looking at her with a mixture of sadness and encouragement. Her father was giving her his full support, his arm wound around his wife. They both nodded once and Rose grinned so much she thought her face would split in 2. Dumbledore cancelled the wards and Rose jumped up to go and see Ginny. The Weasleys and Harry looked up as Rose came bounding through the door.

"Dumbledore said that I have the good makings of a healer so he's letting me start school 1 year early!" she gabbled excitedly. Harry felt a mixture of emotions coming from Ginny: Excitement, Resentment, Happiness. He felt happy for his younger sister as she would be able to see Hogwarts at the same time as him so she wouldn't get anything a year later than him.

The rest of the day was spent swimming and playing various games of Quidditch, chess and playing in the gym. The four youngsters spent most of their time together as they knew they would miss each other even if 3 out of 4 of them were going to be spending most of their time together.

A couple of days before they were due to go to Hogwarts, Madam Pomfrey flooed in to give Rose her book list. Her's came after the usual ones because she would be studying medicine as well as the usual school work. Ginny, who was tuned in to Harry at that time, mysteriously became busy. She made the excuse that her mother was calling her and left Harry hanging.

September 1st came quickly. The Weasleys and Potters rushed around Potter Manor. As it was Sunday, they would have, on a normal day, slept in. However, Harry and James had to be woken up by 3 angry red heads who yelled that if they didn't wake up right that second, they would be hexed to within an inch of death. Harry flinched at Ginny's voice in his head. _'She sounds just like ,'_ he thought. When he finally got downstairs, that thought earned a slap from Ginny. He rubbed the back of his head as he grabbed a piece of toast and ran back up the stairs to get his trunk. Lily was frantically making toast as everyone else rushed around the Manor. Being pregnant and frustrated at everyone, her hormones didn't help anyone. At 10:30, everyone gathered in the Floo room with their trunks. James and Arthur shrunk everyone's trunks and everyone apparated to King's Cross. As everyone boarded the Hogwarts express, Ginny began to weep. She wouldn't have anyone to talk to or play with as her best friend was going to Hogwarts with her bond mate and big brother. Sure, she had Luna, but Luna was a bit weird and Ginny didn't like having her around that much.

She watched sadly, tears still streaming down her cheeks, running after the Hogwarts express. She waved madly when it was too far away to run with and Harry, Rose and Ron waved back. Rose was also crying, sad to be away from her best friend. Eventually, Molly went and pulled Ginny gently away from the platform. She took her daughter home via side-along apparition.

Rose felt a tug on her arm and felt her brother pulling her away from the window. Ron led the way down corridor, trying to find an empty compartment. They eventually sat down at the very end of the train. Harry gently sat Rose down before putting everyone's trunks on to the luggage rack. Rose stared out of the window. She was missing her best friend terribly.

Harry and Ron sat opposite her, talking animatedly. She watched them for a while before turning back to the window, wishing more than ever that Ginny was here. After a while, Harry took a book out and opened it, though Rose knew he wasn't really reading it. Every now and again, a small smile would appear on his face and Rose knew that he was talking to her best friend.

Harry watched Rose sit down and stare out of the window. He sighed. He knew that she was missing her best friend but felt bad that he couldn't do anything about it. He saw Ron turn towards him and engaged him in conversation. Every now and again, he would chance a glance at Rose. Once, he saw Rose looking back at him. Eventually, he decided to take out a book and read it. He just used reading as an excuse. The real reason that he took his book out was because he wanted to try and talk to Ginny. Since they talked, they hadn't been apart for that long. He decided to contact her.

_'Ginny?'_ he called out in his mind. After a second, he heard a timid answer.

_'Harry?'_

Harry grinned, hiding it in his book. He and Ginny began to converse. Soon, Harry fell asleep.

When the Trolley lady came round, Rose gently shook Harry. It was now 3 o'clock and Harry had missed the first time she came round. He dug into his pocket for a galleon and bought some Bertie Botts' every flavoured beans and some Droobles. He shared them out with everyone. As the day progressed, nothing happened apart from Neville, who Harry knew quite well, came in asking if they had seen his toad and then come back later with a girl named Hermione Granger who was quite a bossy girl with rather large front teeth. As the Hogwarts Express pulled into the station, neither of the 3 knew what was going to happen in the school year.

**A/N: Leave me a review! That's an order!**


	11. Feasties and Firsties part 1

**Chapter 11: Feasties and Firsties part 1**

**A/N: Some of the Ghosts might act OOC.**

Harry pulled down the hand luggage, leaving the trunks on the racks. He handed Rose her bag and gave Ron his rucksack before shouldering his bag and leading the way out. It was quite a squash but the three managed to get out safely.

The sound of Hagrid calling out, "Firsties! Firs' years over t' me!" made Harry snap into action. He grabbed Rose's arm and pulled her alongside him. Ron followed them happily. They were the first ones to reach Hagrid who greeted them happily. Once everyone was there and the platform was clear save the first years and Hagrid, he led them towards the lake.

They climbed into boats in fours. Harry, Ron and Rose were joined by none other than Hermione Granger. She tentatively accepted the hand Ron held out. Harry and Ron each grabbed one of the oars and began to row whilst Hermione and Rose sat holding their hand luggage and one of the handles each. As they progressed, Harry and Ron became tired. Rose and Hermione swapped with them. It was slow at first but after a while they got into the rhythm of it. They rowed the rest of the way to school. All of them remained silent for the duration of the journey, amazed by the sight of the wondrous castle.

As they stepped out of the boats and made their way to the castle, Rose and Hermione began to talk to each other. They gathered in the entrance hall and waited for Professor McGonagall to come.

When the ghosts came through the wall, scaring and surprising everyone, Hermione gasped. Even Harry, Rose and Ron, who had grown up listening to stories about Hogwarts, were caught off guard by them. The Fat Friar, the ghost of Hufflepuff house and the Bloody Baron, the ghost of Slytherin house, came drifting through a gap that had formed, talking animatedly. They stopped suddenly when they noticed the first years staring fearfully at them apart from Draco Malfoy.

They looked in surprise at each other before turning back to the kids. Nearly Headless Nick and the Grey Lady, the ghosts of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw, accidentally walked through their fellow ghosts. It was quite a queer sight, seeing the 2 ghosts turn into 4. The head of the Grey Lady was sticking through the ruff of the Fat Friar and Nick's arm was sticking through the Bloody Baron's chains. Harry glanced at Ron and saw that the both of them were suppressing their laughter.

He turned his attention back to the ghosts and watched as they pulled themselves out from each other, looking disgruntled. Just then, Professor McGonagall stepped into the entrance hall. She glanced around at the assembled first years before clapping her hands once. This got everyone's attention. They gathered around her and waited for her to say something.

She gave each of them a sweeping glance before speaking. "Professor Dumbledore and the rest of the school are ready for you. Please form a neat line, and for heaven's sake, try to straighten your uniforms out," she added as she glanced at Neville's upturned collar and Ron's wonky tie. She led all 30 of them into the Great Hall. Each of them was awed by the sight of the heavily decorated hall.

Hermione and Rose walked next to each other, looking around the Great Hall. Hermione caught sight of the Slytherin and Gryffindor tables before she was forced to turn her attention back to Professor McGonagall; the sorting was about to begin. Rose looked around curiously as she wanted to lodge this image permanently in her head: the whole school sitting together, waiting for the new arrivals to their house. She saw Draco Malfoy, the son of Lucius Malfoy, eyeing what was clearly the Slytherin table. She hoped that he and his cronies would go to Slytherin house. She knew as well as any pure-blood child that Slytherin house turned out more dark wizards than any other house. She turned her attention back to the Sorting hat as it began to sing its song.

'_Oh, you may not think I'm pretty  
But don't judge on what you see,  
I'll eat myself if you can find  
a smarter hat than me.  
You can keep your bowlers black  
Your top hats sleek and tall,  
For I'm the Hogwarts sorting hat  
and I can cap them all.  
There's nothing hidden in your head  
the Sorting Hat can't see,  
so try me on and I will tell you  
Where you ought to be  
You might belong in Gryffindor,  
where dwell the brave at heart,  
Their daring nerve and chivalry  
Set Gryffindors apart;  
You might belong in Hufflepuff,  
Where they are just and loyal,  
Those patient Hufflepuffs are true  
And unafraid of toil;  
Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw,  
If you've a ready mind,  
Where those of wit and learning,  
Will always find their kind;  
Or perhaps in Slytherin  
You'll make your real friends,  
Those cunning folk use any means  
To achieve their ends.  
So put me on! Don't be afraid!  
And don't get in a flap!  
You're in safe hands (Though I have none)  
for I'm a thinking cap!'_

The hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to all four tables, then became still again. (A/N: I take no claim for the song and the 2 sentences after it. It belongs to J.K Rowling!)

Harry watched as the first person came forward named Hannah Abbott and was sorted into Hufflepuff after a few minutes of wearing it. The sorting went on like this. At the end of the sorting, there were 11 Gryffindors, 7 Slytherins, 6 Hufflepuffs and 6 Ravenclaws. Harry's sorting had been the hardest.

**_Harry_******

_Harry gulped as his name was called out. The Great Hall had become silent, then loud, louder than it had been before. "Mr Potter!" Professor McGonagall called again. He walked forward and she handed him the hat. He sat down on the stool, still clutching the hat. Various thoughts were running through his mind. 'Will I be in Slytherin? Will Rose be ok? I don't want to be in Slytherin! What about Ron! I won't be able to see him anymore if I'm put in Slytherin! (A/N That sounds kinda wrong, but there you go!)' were some of them. Suddenly he heard a voice in his head. 'Harry James Potter! You will __**definitely**__ not be in Slytherin, not I if I can help it!" He glanced at the teachers' table where Hagrid was sitting. He gave Harry an encouraging smile. Harry put the hat on, his head still ringing. He gave a small start when it started talking to him. He started to think, 'Not Slytherin, anything but Slytherin...'  
The hat gave a sly smile and then started to talk to Harry. "Not Slytherin, eh? Well, you would do well in Sly-Holy Merlin! You are soul bonded! Well, you have been brave enough to endure all this, which means that you are in... GRYFFINDOR!"_

_The Great Hall erupted. Anyone standing outside the Great Hall might have thought that a bomb had gone off. The sound was loudest from the Gryffindor table, seeing as the Boy-Who-Lived was in their house. Dumbledore clapped his hands for Harry as well, but let off purple firecrackers as the noise didn't show any sign of dying down soon. Soon the Great Hall was silent. Dumbledore nodded to Professor McGonagall to continue. _

There was only Rose left to sort. As her name was called out, the Hall became deathly silent again. The hat only took 30 seconds before deciding to put Rose in Gryffindor with her brother. Harry gave a sigh of relief. He didn't know that he had been holding his breath but realised it when he let it out.

Dumbledore had just started to speak when there was a pop, a gasp, a thud and a yelp of surprise. Ginny had landed on the floor of the Great Hall next to the Teachers' table.


	12. Feasties and firsties part 2

**Chapter 12: Feasties and Firsties part 2**

**A/N: Thank you to those who have reviewed. For those who said that it sounds like another story, it sort of does. I have taken my inspiration from various other stories but I will try to make this sound a little more original. There will be multiple POVs in this chapter. Oh, and Hermione will be a crucial character throughout this story.**

**Disclaimer: Haven't done it in a while so... I only own the plot and Rose. **

_Previously on Change of fate:_

_Dumbledore had just started to speak when there was a pop, a gasp, a thud and a yelp of surprise. Ginny had landed on the floor of the Great Hall next to the Teachers' table._

Ginny found herself sitting on the floor of the Great Hall. She didn't understand how she had got there. One minute she was sitting on her bed, brushing her hair before she got changed, the next minute, she was on the cold stone floor. She felt a little dizzy but shook her head and quickly got rid of it. All around her, people were buzzing with conversation.

Harry suddenly felt a far away presence become suddenly closer. Suddenly he felt a bout of dizziness but it cleared as soon as it had come. He realised that the presence was Ginny. He stood up abruptly.

"Harry! Sit down immediately," Rose ordered. She sounded just like their mother. He sat down, though not before finding a mass of red hair near the Teachers' table. "Ginny's here," he hissed to Rose, this time making sure neither Ron nor Hermione was looking at him. "Keep quiet," he added, as Rose looked like she was about to scream with delight. He looked at the stand where Dumbledore was standing and stood up again as Dumbledore beckoned for him to come up.

Dumbledore looked around the Great Hall, then back at the Teachers' table. He was surprised to see that Ginny Weasley was sitting on the floor, looking bewildered. He looked over at the Gryffindor table to see Harry Potter stand up. He then realised what this meant: the Sorting Hat had detected the bond. He watched as Harry sat down, whispered to his sister, watch his sister's face light up and then whisper something else to her. He beckoned to Harry as Harry looked back at him.

Harry whispered to Rose, Ron and Hermione again and got up again. He made his way to the front of the Great Hall, ignoring the curious glances and whispers. The noise in the Great Hall had steadily gone up higher but had gone lower once Harry had made his way up to the front and Dumbledore had shushed the school. He told Harry silently to stay out of sight near Ginny before he then he started to talk.

"Due to unforeseen circumstances, the entire school apart from Miss Potter, Mr Ronald Weasley and Miss Granger will make their way to their common rooms immediately. Dinner will be served in the common rooms." He dismissed the school with a wave of his wand. Then he muttered something and a silver beam shot of his wand in the shape of a strange bird that Harry did not recognise. The silvery animal looked around at the jumble of students and returned to Dumbledore. He muttered something to it and it glided away, disappearing once it got to the mad crowd near the doors. He saw the 3 students he had singled out fighting their way across the hall after a push from Percy. He beckoned them towards Ginny and Harry. They finally reached Dumbledore, faces flushed.

He glanced at them and walked over to where the 2 students were sitting on the floor. The others followed the Headmaster, Hermione confused. Dumbledore was surprised at the sight that greeted them. Ginny appeared to be crying. Harry had his arms around her, his shoulder muffling her sobs. Professor McGonagall was sitting on the floor near them, offering them her moral support. She looked slightly alarmed at the fact that an 11 year old boy was comforting a 10 year old girl so calmly, like he had been trained for something like this to happen.

She glanced at Albus who nodded and put a finger to his lips. She knew that he would explain later so she let it be for the time being. The Great Hall was now empty apart from the seven (Dumbledore, McGonagall, Harry, Ginny, Ron, Rose and Hermione). The doors opened to reveal Madam Pomfrey. She walked in and headed for the group.

"Now, Now, Miss Weasley," Professor McGonagall said, looking quite flustered. She awkwardly patted Ginny on the back. Ginny clung tighter to Harry who winced. Ron smirked and Rose stepped on his toe. Dumbledore finally noticed Madam Pomfrey and moved over to talk to her in a hushed voice. Hermione watched this, her brain whirring. She wondered why a red headed girl who looked an awful lot like Ron and Rose had popped suddenly into the Great Hall and was now crying on Harry Potter's shoulder.

Madam Pomfrey then moved over to the group of children. "I will have to take Mr. Potter and Miss Weasley to the hospital, so move aside everyone," she ordered. She parted the group and conjured 2 stretchers with a wave of her wand. Harry had managed to calm Ginny down with help from McGonagall. Rose and Ron helped Harry and Ginny onto the stretchers. Dumbledore turned to Madam Pomfrey who levitated the 2 towards the hospital wing. Ron and Rose started to follow the 2, Hermione tagging on behind them, but were all stopped by Professor Dumbledore who motioned for them to follow him. Ron and Rose followed him willingly but Hermione stood where she was. It was only her first day at this school-no it's not, she reminded herself, it's my first night- and she had already experienced all of this. She sighed. 'It's going to be a long year,' she thought.

HPGW

Rose turned back when she noticed that Hermione had not followed them. She tugged at Dumbledore's arm. "Professor, Hermione didn't follow us, shall I go back and get her?" she asked. Dumbledore smiled that mysterious smile of his. Ron looked at her, oblivious to his surroundings.

"No, I will send her a message. In the mean time, let's continue our trek towards my office!" he smiled at them. He pulled out his wand, and muttered something under his breath. Another silvery phoenix shot out of the end of his wand. It once again came close to him after seeing that there was no danger. Dumbledore muttered something to it and it flew away, gliding silently.

Hermione was startled out of her thinking when a silvery object flew up to her and started speaking to her in Dumbledore's voice.

_"Miss Granger, please make your way to my office," _and after this, there came a list of instructions. She followed the instructions; the phoenix-she worked this out along the way- repeated the steps as she got to each stage. She eventually made her way to Dumbledore's office where everyone was waiting.

Dumbledore smiled. "Ah, Miss Granger, welcome!" Ron and Rose jumped; they were deep in conversation about what was going on. They, of course, knew about the bond. Hermione was bent double, clutching a stitch in her side.

"Fizzing Whizbees," Dumbledore said clearly. He pointed his wand at the gargoyle and it moved away, revealing a set of stairs. Hermione looked on with amazement at all this. Ron and Rose, however, had already seen all of this since they had been to Dumbledore's office before. They hadn't, though, seen the rest of Hogwarts. Everyone trooped into Dumbledore's office and the 3 sat down whilst Dumbledore made a floo call. Ron then realised that Dumbledore was calling his parents, and he knew that if his parents were called, then it was likely that the Potters would also come.

Seconds after Dumbledore pulled his head out of the fireplace, it flared four times, revealing Molly, Arthur, James and a 5 month pregnant Lily. They immediately started bombarding Dumbledore with questions. He smiled, which annoyed Lily, and calmed them down. He offered everyone a lemon drop which they accepted. He then started to explain what had happened in the Great Hall and where their children were. He also explained why Hermione was here.

"I believe that Miss Granger is an exceptionally talented student, and therefore, will be a great help and support to Mr Potter, Miss Weasley and their other friends and siblings." At this, Hermione glowed and Molly and Lily smiled at her, making her blush. It matched a Weasley blush. Rose was quick to point that out, and everyone burst out laughing.

They proceeded to explain everything going on between Harry and Ginny and all about the soul bond. Hermione was surprised about this. She had bought some extra books from Flourish and Blotts for some background reading and had read all about Soul Bonds. She also knew how rare they were and how lucky Harry and Ginny were to have this.

Dumbledore then realised that none of the three students sitting in front of him had eaten their dinner. He sent them down to their dormitories and said that someone would be up shortly with their dinners. Ron's stomach rumbled loudly which made everyone in the office laugh loudly. The Weasleys, Potters and Hermione made their way out of the office. Ron and Rose said goodbye to their parents whilst Hermione watched uncomfortably. Lily pulled her into a motherly hug, which was followed by Molly's bone breaking one. The parents made their way to the Hospital wing which was just around the corner whereas the others went up the stairs. They arrived in front of the portrait which Dumbledore told them was where the Gryffindor tower was located when they realised that they didn't know the password.

They all flopped to the ground in despair, all of them tired and hungry. Suddenly, Dumbledore appeared out of nowhere. Rose jumped, being the first one to spot him. He smiled at her and walked towards the group. Hermione was pacing up and down, trying to think of the right password. Ron was sitting on the ground, moaning about the fact that they hadn't had their dinner and that he was hungry.

"Caput Draconis," stated Dumbledore's clear voice. Hermione jumped yet again whilst Ron scrambled up from the floor. The Fat Lady's portrait swung open and the 3 students climbed in. They looked around the magenta and aurelian (gold) common room, the roaring fireplace, the comfy, yet worn, armchairs. Then came the study tables, the small bookshelf on the side and the staircases.

Hermione and Rose hurried up the staircase to the left whilst Ron went to the other one on the right hand side. Each of them went into a room with 4 or 5 beds with red, plush hangings. Each of them spotted their trunks sitting at the foots of their beds, a tray of food and a goblet of pumpkin juice sat on the maple wood desk next to them. Their bedside cabinets had some napkins and a glass of water. Ron sighed in comfort as he gobbled up his meal. He slid into the warm sheets and snuggled down into his pillow. There was one empty bed next to him that he assumed belonged to Harry. He was also sharing a dorm with Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnegan and Dean Thomas.

Hermione and Rose's beds were near each other. They ate their meal in silence before changing and getting into bed. Their trunks unpacked themselves, their robes folded themselves neatly, and their now red and gold ties attached themselves onto their ties. Hermione couldn't believe the turn of events. She was just a bookworm with bushy hair with no friends, yet less than an hour into her being at her new school, she had 3, possibly 4 new friends. She turned over and went to sleep. Rose, who was in the opposite bed to Hermione, grinned. 'My best friend is at Hogwarts! My best friend is at Hogwarts! My best friend is at Hogwarts!' her mind screamed. She rolled over and tried to get to sleep. She eventually fell into a peaceful sleep at around midnight.

HPGW

Harry and Ginny sat on their beds in the Hospital wing. They had been assigned to sit on one bed while Poppy did some diagnostic tests. She then realised that the pair had a soul bond. She then realised that he Sorting Hat had detected the Soul Bond, and informed Hogwarts, who must have summoned young Ginevra to the school. Yes, Poppy Pomfrey was a fast learner. She had laughed, then cringed at the odd look that Harry had given her. She had told the 2 to climb into their beds and gave Ginevra a Calming Draught; she was still upset that Hogwarts had called her, giving her a big shock. She was, of course, happy that she was allowed to attend school a year early as well as her best friend. She rolled over, the calming draught still in effect, and went to sleep.

Minutes or hours later, neither knew, they were woken up by their parents. They were finally allowed entry after persisting with Madam Pomfrey. She let them in and they immediately went over to see their children. Before retreating to her office, she cast some privacy charms to prevent any nosy person listening in.

"Hey Prongslet," James grinned at his son. Harry groaned and rolled over to face his parents. He smiled at them weakly.

"Hello," he muttered. Lily raked a hand through his hair. He smiled again. They began to talk about the evening and the 2 elder Potters explained what had happened and why Ginny had just turned up at Hogwarts. Over in the other side of the Hospital wing, the Weasleys were having the same conversation with their daughter.

Harry's parents left first, leaving him to tune into Ginny. He entered Ginny's mind in time to hear her father say to Ginny, "-which means that you will also be attending Hogwarts." Harry felt elated. He couldn't believe it. Ginny would be attending Hogwarts as well! Over on the other side of the ward, Ginny had jumped into the arms of her parents and was hugging them tightly. Harry, still tuned into Ginny, decided to surprise her.

_'Hey Gin, congrats on making Hogwarts!" _he watched as she jumped, then sent him a fierce glare over her mother's shoulder. He winked at her and turned over, his mind racing. He, his sister, his sister's best friend/best friend's sister and best friend would all be attending Hogwarts at the same time. This was going to be a very interesting year. This was Harry's last thought before he fell into a dream full of a certain red head.


	13. Feasties and Firsties part 3

**Chapter 13: Feasties and Firsties part 3**

The next morning, Harry and Ginny were woken at 7 am by Madam Pomfrey. They each got up to use the bathroom and brush their teeth. Getting back to their beds, they saw a breakfast tray along with a goblet and a vial. After asking Madam Pomfrey, they found out that it was Pepper-up potion to stop them passing out in class. Their time tables were also there. After comparing them, they saw that they were identical. The two of them walked out of the Hospital Wing with their book bags, dressed in full school uniform. Their first lesson was Potions with the Slytherins. The two of them made their way to the dungeons, talking animatedly about the reaction of the teachers, their friends and the rest of the school population.

They arrived with plenty of time to spare. It was 8:45 and classes didn't start until 9am so they were safe. Harry dreaded Potions for 3 reasons. 1) He hated Severus Snape, the Potions Master, 2) He hated the Slytherin and 3) His parents and Snape had a history and not all of it was good. Ginny sensed these thoughts and attempted to calm Harry down. She placed a hand on his arm, uncertain of what to do next, but her small gesture worked. Harry smiled at her and the 2 of them started to talk. Ginny's books were old school textbooks that she was borrowing whilst her parents got a chance to go to Diagon Alley and get some new ones.

Ron, Hermione and Rose were the first ones to reach the dungeons after Harry and Ginny. Hermione had taken to hanging out with Ron and Rose after a little encouragement from Rose. The three of them headed towards the bonded pair. Rose was the first one to spot them. She saw Ginny in school robes and flew towards her, giving her an ecstatic hug.

Rose started to pelt questions at Ginny without pausing and giving her time to answer, causing Harry, Ron and Hermione to burst out laughing. Rose finally stopped talking and glared at the others. "What?"

Harry quickly sobered up; he knew his sister's temper matched his mother's and stood silently. Rose put her hands on her hips. "Well?"Harry gulped. Then Hermione stepped forward.

"Rose, just let it be, classes start in 5 minutes and you shouldn't get detention on the first day, even before the first lesson, should you?" Rose sighed then looked at her brother.

"Be grateful that Hermione's here to save your butt, otherwise, you would've been dead meat." Rose turned to Ginny and this time, let Ginny answer her questions before moving on to the next one. Harry turned to Ron and Hermione and sighed.

"Hermione, thank you." Hermione glared at him.

"I didn't do it for you. I did it for Rose. I've only known her for a day, but she is like a sister to me already." With that, she turned to the 2 girls and started to talk to them, leaving the 2 boys alone. Harry sighed. Ron grinned at him.

"These girls are mental, I tell you Harry, mental," Ron said, grinning at Harry. By now, most of the rest of the class had arrived, save Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson. Everyone was standing around in small groups, talking. They had mostly gotten over the shock of Ginny popping into the Great Hall yesterday but were talking about what was going to happen next, as most of them had spotted Ginny near Harry, Rose, Ron and Hermione.

The dungeon doors swung open with a bang. Everyone took this as a sign to go in and sit down so they did. The five took a seat at the back of the classroom. Suddenly, a door in the classroom opened to reveal a man with greasy hair and a long, hooked nose. He stepped inside and went over to his desk, his cloak billowing behind him.

"You are here to learn the subtle science and exact art of potion-making. As there is little foolish wand-waving here, many of you will hardly believe this is magic. I don't expect you will really understand the beauty of the softly simmering cauldron with its shimmering fumes, the delicate power of liquids that creep through human veins, bewitching the mind, ensnaring the senses... I can teach you how to bottle fame, brew glory, even stopper death - if you aren't as big a bunch of dunderheads as I usually have to teach." Snape looked around at this and his eyes lingered at the back of the Gryffindor side of the room where Harry and co. were sitting.

"Ah-Mr. Potter, our new...celebrity," he said softly. His eyes were dark and looked almost black as he saw James Potter in Harry.

"Potter!" he snapped suddenly. ""What would I get if I added powdered root of aspodel to an infusion of wormwood?" Harry looked up at Snape coolly.

"It makes a sleeping potion so powerful it is known as the Draught of Living Death." He stared triumphantly at Snape, almost daring him to question his answer.

"Let's try again...What is the difference, Potter, between Monkshood and Wolfsbane?"

Little did Snape know, Ginny and Harry were conversing in their minds, Ginny helping Harry to remember some of the tutoring given by Lily to all of the Weasleys and the Potters.

"They are the same plant which also goes by the name of Aconite, sir."

Snape's eyes narrowed. _'How does he know all this?'_ he thought. Then came the obvious answer. _Lily. _Snape sighed. He would never have thought that Lily would have given tutoring to her children, but now, as he thought about it, Lily would have wanted the best for her children and obviously would have helped them as much as she could. He obviously couldn't win over Potter so decided to leave him alone for now.

Just as he was about to start talking to the rest of the class, the doors swung open and Draco Malfoy walked in followed by Crabbe, Goyle and Pansy Parkinson. They walked over to the empty desks at the back of the Slytherin side. Snape didn't say anything to them, merely continuing to talk as if there hadn't been a disruption. He told the class to start taking notes whilst he gave them a lecture. Unfortunately for the Gryffindors, this was a double lesson. Snape picked on the Gryffindors most, especially Neville Longbottom. He also gave points to the Slytherins for wrong answers and completely ignored Hermione's answers, even if they were correct.

Finally, at 12, their torture ended. Harry sighed in relief. He didn't like the way Snape picked on him at the start of the lesson for nothing. Also, he picked on all of his friends around him. He really didn't like that. He made a mental note to write to his parents about Snape's treatment of Gryffindors.

The 4 of them went to their lunch break. Rose was in the Hospital Wing, watching Madam Pomfrey tend to an injured student. Harry led the way with Ginny next to him. Ron and Hermione followed behind them awkwardly. The four sat down and Ron immediately reached for anything within his reach. Hermione watched this with an amused expression and scolded Ron for not waiting for the others. Harry hooted with laughter behind across the table so this made it harder for Hermione to keep a straight face. She shook her head and began to fill her plate.

15 minutes into lunch, Rose came in and sat down next to Ginny. "Hey guys, what's up?" Rose looked at her brother and he shrugged.

"Snape gave us homework. He said that anyone who was absent from his class still had to do it or there would be detention, sis," Harry replied. Rose groaned.

"What was it?" she asked, reaching for the last chicken leg before Ron could get it.

"Um..."

Ginny rolled her eyes at Harry. "It was to find out the 12 uses of Dragon Blood and to explain how it was useful. 2 feet of parchment by next Monday."

Rose sighed and began to eat quickly. The five of them made their way to the common room. They still had an hour before their next class so they made the most of it. Rose relayed her experience of healing. A boy had broken his arm and Madam Pomfrey used a spell to heal it. She had then told Rose to practice on a dummy that would be given by Professor Flitwick and she also gave Rose some books to read on healing.

Hermione asked to see those books and the 3 girls went over to a corner to pore over them. Ron and Harry were left sitting there. Harry decided to start on his homework. Ron complained that they had all weekend to do it but Harry pointed out that, "The sooner you do it, mate, the more time you have for fun." Ron reluctantly agreed and they pulled out their parchment and text books.

Half an hour later got them around ¼ of the way through. The 5 friends had worked together on this, turning it into a homework session. Harry checked his watch and cursed. They had 5 minutes to get to McGonagall's class. Ginny, who had been reading his essay through his eyes, jumped up and alerted the others. Everyone stuffed their books and essays into their bags and they hurried out of the almost empty Common Room. They raced down some corridors and got to the classroom just before McGonagall closed the door. She let them in, and after some hurried apologies, they sat down.

Transfiguration was an interesting class. They had to turn a needle into a matchstick. Hermione was the first one to get this right. Harry and Ginny were having problems but eventually, Ginny managed to do it. Each of them earned five points to Gryffindor for this. Hermione helped Ron whilst Ginny helped the Potter siblings and eventually, the five managed to do it. McGonagall gave the others five points each and gave Hermione and Ginny another five points for helping their fellow classmates.

Across the classroom, Malfoy sneered at Harry and co. He felt that McGonagall was favouring famous Potter and he, Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy, was being ignored. McGonagall walked in between the desks, helping students where she could and giving points for achievements. She headed towards the back where Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle were. Malfoy waved his wand and tried to switch the needle into a matchstick but couldn't do it. He jabbed his wand at it again and again.

"Mr. Malfoy! _Wave_ your wand, don't _jab_ it!" McGonagall scolded. Malfoy nodded and started to do it again. He couldn't do it for some reason. He gave up and looked at McGonagall but she had long ago moved away.

At the end of the class, she gave some homework. "For those of you that couldn't do this transfiguration, practice. I want you to be able to do this by next lesson. For those that could do this, five points each to you. Dismissed." Everyone left her classroom full of excitement. Transfiguration was a good class.

Harry took his timetable out of his pocket and saw that they had flying lessons next with Madam Hooch. Unfortunately, it was with the Slytherins. Again. They just couldn't seem to get away from the Slytherins today. Harry sighed and his four friends headed off towards the grounds, leaving Harry behind. He quickly ran to catch them up.

Flying lessons were very exciting. Hermione, however, didn't like them. Unbeknown to the others, she had been afraid of heights ever since she was little.

_Flashback_

_ Four year old Hermione ran around the park, having fun. She loved to play on the roundabout and the slide. Most of all, she loved playing on the swings. Jean Granger ran after her, trying to catch her four year old daughter. Richard followed his family, laughing. Jean caught her daughter and ran with her towards the swings. She bent over to place the giggling child on the swings. Richard caught them up, enjoying the view. He swatted her bum playfully and she squealed. _

_Richard grinned and started to push his daughter higher and higher. Hermione laughed and asked her father to push her even higher. Richard complied, grinning. Suddenly, IT happened. Without warning, the chains attaching the swing to the metal frame broke off completely. Hermione and the swing flew through the air, Hermione screaming. Richard and Jean raced after the airborne swing, determined to save their only child. All too soon, the swing's chain caught in the branch of a tree, stopping the swing from going anywhere. Hermione was now crying, screaming for her mum and dad. Richard arrived at the tree first and wasted no time climbing up it. He scooped up his wailing daughter and hugged her close. Jean climbed up half the distance her husband did and gathered her daughter up in her arms. She carefully climbed down the last few feet of the tree. Hermione had now calmed down but had her head buried in her mother's shoulder._

_Passersby watched this scene with a mixture of fear and horror. Little did the Grangers know, this was a bout of accidental magic, one of many yet to come. From then on, Hermione was afraid of heights. She didn't want to go on the high rides of any theme park and refused to go near the London eye on their family outings. _

_End of flashback_

Ginny watched Harry get his broom the first time he told it to come up. She and Rose had also managed to do it the first time. However, Hermione's rolled over on the ground and Ron's hit him in the nose the first time he tried.

"Say 'up' with authority!" Madam Hooch's voice called out to her class.

"What's wrong, Weasel?" Malfoy smirked after she went over to help Hermione. "Can't even get a broom to come to your hand! Shows even old school brooms hate you!"

The Slytherins roared with laughter at this whilst Harry and Rose glared at him. Suddenly there was a yelp. Neville had accidentally touched off the ground. Malfoy walked over to where he was standing and picked up something small and round off the ground. It was Neville's remembrall that had been sent by his Grandmother that morning.

Madam Hooch looked up at Neville and snapped, "Mr. Longbottom! Come down at once!"

Neville, however, couldn't get control of his broom. It carried him higher and higher over the castle. Without warning, he slipped sideways off his broom. "Neville!" yelled Harry. Neville fell 50 feet onto the grass and lay there, clutching his wrist. Madam Hooch ran over to Neville and examined him.

"Looks like a broken wrist," she murmured to him. Neville whimpered.

"Alright you lot!" she called to the class. "I'm going to take Mr. Longbottom to the Hospital Wing. Miss. Potter, you may come as well. The rest of you, _stay on the ground._ If I find anyone in the air, I will personally make sure they will be expelled before you can say, _Quidditch._ Got that?"

"Yes Madam Hooch!"

She nodded and the three of them moved towards the castle. Malfoy still clutched Neville's remembrall. He picked up his broom and mounted it before he could take off, however, Harry went to him, ignoring the Weasley siblings' pleas to leave him alone.

"Put that down Malfoy. NOW!" Harry said dangerously.

"Or what, Potter?" Malfoy smirked, taking off as he spoke. He flew around a couple of times, testing the speed of the brooms. Without thinking twice, Harry grabbed his broom and flew off after the Slytherin.

Malfoy hovered, playing catch with the remembrall. Harry flew towards him, trying to get the small ball out of his grasp. Malfoy flew away from him, taunting him. Ginny watched all this anxiously. She wished Harry could get the ball quickly before Madam Hooch returned.

She also grabbed a broom and followed Harry and Malfoy. Malfoy was surprised at this, and this showed on his face. Harry felt Ginny behind him and took advantage of Malfoy's distraction. He flew towards him without a word and grabbed the remembrall from Malfoy's loosened grip. Malfoy turned in shock and flew towards Harry.

"Look out, mate!" Ron yelled from the ground. From the way Malfoy was advancing towards him, Harry knew he couldn't dodge and save the remembrall at the same time. He threw the remembrall over Malfoy's head for Ginny to catch and ducked under Malfoy. At the time, Harry was hovering next to the castle walls. Malfoy's high speed meant that he couldn't slow in time. He crashed into the wall and slid down to the ground, unconscious.

Ginny tossed Harry the remembrall but it was intercepted in mid air. In surprise, the 2 of them turned to look at the culprit. Theodore Nott had jumped on a broom and taken the ball easily. After a quick mental discussion, the bonded couple flew towards Nott at the same time. Nott didn't have time to move. Harry grabbed the remembrall and went into a dive. Ginny and Nott headed towards the ground at a high speed. She landed on her feet but on top of the slimy Slytherin who groaned in protest. She jumped off him in disgust.

She mounted her broom again and flew towards Harry who had long since come out of the dive. He was holding the remembrall triumphantly and Ginny joined him, grinning widely.

_'Well done Harry,'_ she told him. He grinned at her. At that moment, Professor McGonagall and Madam Hooch came hurrying out. The pair looked murderously at the pair in the air. Professor McGonagall also noted that Draco Malfoy and Theodore Nott were hurt.

"BOTH OF YOU, GET DOWN HERE, NOW!"Madam Hooch roared. Harry and Ginny both landed gracefully. They stumbled towards their 2 teachers. Rose and Ron looked on worriedly at their siblings whilst Hermione glared at them (Harry & Ginny).

Professor McGonagall led the bonded couple inside whilst Madam Hooch levitated an unconscious Malfoy and a groaning Nott onto some stretchers. Harry and Ginny avoided each other's gaze and looked at their feet whilst following McGonagall.

They stopped outside of Professor Quirrell's classroom. McGonagall put her head around the door.

"Excuse me, Professor Quirrell, but can I borrow Wood for a moment?"

Harry and Ginny looked at each other fearfully. Who or what was Wood? What was going to happen to the 2 of them? Were they-

"Come along, Mr. Potter, Miss. Weasley." Their head of house's voice cut through their synchronised thoughts. Wood turned out to be a person, a fifth year Gryffindor. Wood looked in awe at Harry, delighted to be meeting _the_ Harry Potter. He grinned at the pair.

"You wanted me, Professor?"

Professor McGonagall smiled at him. "Wood, I think I've found you a chaser and a seeker!"

Wood gasped. "No way! These are first years! Heck, Ginny's only 10 years old!"

Professor McGonagall nodded. "I know, but I watched the whole scene from my office window. These 2 caught a remembrall that, if I remember correctly, belongs to Mr. Longbottom. Then, it was intercepted whilst Mr. Potter was throwing it to Miss. Weasley. The 2 of them make a great team, I'd say. Mr. Potter would make an excellent seeker!" she concluded.

Wood looked like he was going to burst with excitement.

"Wow! This is so cool!"

Harry spoke up again. "Wood, can you just do us a favour please?" Wood nodded. "Just don't tell anyone that we've got on the team, or we'll be hounded."

Wood nodded. He was so happy to finally have a full team. Professor McGonagall nodded curtly. "I'll leave you to talk tactics then, shall I? Just make sure you're on time for dinner, ok?"

"Yes, professor, we'll be on time, promise," said Wood.

The 3 of them turned away and began to talk about Quidditch. Professor McGonagall glanced at them then walked away to her office.

Down at the Quidditch Pitch, Madam Hooch was not happy.

"Why did you let those irresponsible 4 go in the air?" she roared. Even the Gryffindors, who were supposed to be brave, flinched at her tone.

"Well, it doesn't matter now; let's get on to flying the brooms." She grinned at them and the assembled students mounted their brooms. Ron, Rose and Hermione were worried about Harry and Ginny. They had been gone for a while now and they didn't know what had happened to them.

2 hours passed with Wood talking about Quidditch. Little did he know that the 2 first years had long since tuned out his voice. They were talking through their bond about various things. They also devised at plan to scare their friends into thinking that they had been expelled. They had a lot of fun making up different entrances, then finally decided on one which both of them agreed on.

Finally having nothing else to talk about, Harry checked his watch that had been given to him for his 10th birthday. He saw that it was 5:30, time for dinner. He alerted Wood who reluctantly shut up and the 3 of them headed off towards the Great Hall.

Harry and Ginny parted from Wood in the Entrance Hall and put the first part of their plan into action. They lowered their heads and walked forwards slowly. The doors to the Great Hall opened for them and they walked in in silence. They walked towards the Gryffindor table and sat down opposite Hermione, Ron and Rose.

They looked down at the table, refusing to make eye contact with either of their friends. Ron and Rose looked worriedly at each other. Hermione looked on curiously.

_'It's time, Ginny. Now or Never.'_

Ginny nodded very, very slightly. _'On the count of 3. 1, 2, 3!'_

The 2 looked up, grinning. "We're now on the Quidditch team!" they said in unison, though made sure that only the 3 opposite could hear them.

Ron looked like he was about to faint. Rose squealed in delight, attracting a few curious stares from those around her. Hermione grinned at her new friends.

"Well done!"

Harry glanced at the head table where Dumbledore and McGonagall were sitting. Dumbledore smiled at him and McGonagall nodded.

Ron shakily poured himself a glass of pumpkin juice. "Never, and I mean Never, scare me like that again. I thought that the 2 of you were expelled!"

Harry grinned. "You forgot, mate, I'm Harry Potter, the saviour of the wizarding world. I can keep myself from getting expelled, especially when I have a very beautiful girl right by my side."

Ginny blushed and Ron choked on his pumpkin juice at this statement. Rose snorted and Hermione burst out laughing. More curious glances were shot their way but Harry ignored them.

They began to eat, Ron grabbing everything within reach as usual. After a delicious meal, the four of them moved out of the Great Hall. They were waylaid by Fred and George.

"Well done, Harry, Ginny," George said to them. At Harry's curious glance, he added, "Wood told us, we're on the team as well. Bet you didn't know that!" With that they walked away and the others proceeded up the marble staircase. Harry intended on writing a letter to his parents about his hectic day and Hermione wanted to finish off her essay. Ron asked Rose if she wanted a game of chess and she accepted, even though she knew she would lose.

They stepped into Gryffindor tower and went over to the fireplace where the most comfy armchairs were located. Just before curfew, Harry finished his letter. He wanted to send it off tonight so he wouldn't worry about it in the morning.

Near the door of the Owlery, Professor Quirrell was standing there. Harry's scar exploded in pain and he fell backwards. He had felt twinges of pain before, but never like this. Harry felt light headed and tried to stay awake. Before he could protest, blackness engulfed him and he knew no more.


	14. Halloween

**Chapter 14: Halloween**

Ginny felt the presence of Harry go out suddenly and she gasped. She tapped Ron on the arm. He looked up from his chess game and said, quite irritably, "What?!"

He glanced at her face and her watery eyes. He turned to Rose, told her to talk to Ginny and started to pack up his old chess set. Rose stood up and gently guided Ginny towards the empty side of the common room, away from the fire.

There, Ginny told her where Harry was, why he went and what had happened. Rose gasped.

"Can you still feel him?" she asked, Ginny nodded.

"Only a little. The connection dimmed when he blacked out and I'm worried about him." She stared at Rose. Rose nodded and walked back over to Ron and Hermione.

"It's time for a rescue mission." She quickly explained to them what Ginny had told her and they immediately sprang into action. Hermione, who had been told about their bond, didn't react at the news that Ginny had told her. She put her book in her bag and the 3 of them went back to Ginny. Ron checked his watch and saw that it was half an hour to curfew. Hermione took her's, Rose's ad Ginny's bags up to their dormitories while Ron did the same for his and Harry's. The four of them met back at their spot near the fire.

They didn't know what they were going to do, other than save Harry. Ginny was told to try and communicate with Harry but she failed.

"He isn't answering," she told them sadly. Rose then said that they had to make their way to where Harry had passed out and to see if they could get him safely to the hospital wing. Ginny led the way as the closer she got to Harry, the stronger his presence and their connection would get.

The foursome managed to make it to the Owlery without any mishaps. Thankfully, they didn't run into any teacher, or Peeves or Filch. Harry was sprawled out on the floor, hand still clutching the letter. Rose and Ginny hurried over to him. Ginny grabbed his hand whilst Rose checked his pulse. She breathed a sigh of relief. Hermione crouched down and put an arm around Ginny whilst Ron stared down at his best mate. Everyone was silent for a couple of minutes before Ginny pointed out that they had to get him to the Hospital Wing before curfew.

Rose, Ginny, Ron and Hermione carefully lifted Harry up together. Rose checked Harry's pulse every now and again. They arrived at the Hospital Wing and Rose knocked on the door of Madam Pomfrey's office. She hurried out and spotted Ginny, Hermione and Ron lowering Harry onto a bed. She hurried over, took one look at Ginny and Harry and sighed.

"Potters," she muttered. "Always in a spot of bother." Ginny proceeded to tell Madam Pomfrey what had happened. Madam Pomfrey sighed and levitated Harry up. She then lowered Harry into the bed. Ron and Hermione took a seat on either side of the bed. Ginny sat at the foot of the bed. At this, Madam Pomfrey tried to send Ron and Hermione out of the Hospital Wing, but they refused. Rose, who had come out of the office, went to join Ginny at the foot of the bed. Madam Pomfrey protested but Rose wheeled around, saying that they were Harry's friends and family, and they had a right to stay there. She then stood up after giving Ginny a pat on the back and asked for some parchment, ink and a quill to write to her parents.

Madam Pomfrey sighed. She had been outwitted by a 10 year old. She reluctantly gave Rose some parchment and then suggested that she give them a Floo Call. Meanwhile, Madam Pomfrey said that Ginny should undress and get into bed with Harry. Ginny blushed a deep Weasley red and Ron protested. Madam Pomfrey then pointed out that they were soul bonded. Ron muttered under his breath and Hermione slapped him on the back of the head. Ginny smiled despite her crying. Somehow, she knew that those 2 would probably end up together someday, later if not sooner. Madam Pomfrey drew the curtains around Ginny and Harry. Ginny turned her back on Harry, even though he was unconscious, and began to undress. This was the first day of school and the second night; yet, they hadn't even managed to spend one single night in the dormitories. She sighed. This was going to be a very long school year. She suddenly realised that Madam Pomfrey had not given her any clothes to wear.

"Madam Pomfrey?" she called.

"Yes, what is it, dear?" she asked bustling into the area.

"Well, you haven't given me any clothes to wear and my trunk is in my dormitory, what should I do?" she said in a rush.

Madam Pomfrey smiled at her. "For Mr. Potter to get better, he needs to have skin contact with you." Before Ginny could say something, Madam Pomfrey added, "Holding his hand is not enough. He needs full body-to-body contact with his bond mate." Ginny's face had become redder and redder throughout this conversation and she nodded. Madam Pomfrey drew back the sheet covering Harry and motioned for Ginny to lie down. She carefully clambered into the bed and Madam Pomfrey covered the pair up again.

Rose headed over to the fireplace, grabbed some floo powder and kneeled down on the cold, hard floor. She put her head into the fire, called out, "Potter Manor!" and threw the powder into the fireplace. She grimaced as she felt the familiar sensation of her head being pulled off from the rest of her body. Suddenly, she found herself looking into the Floo room of Potter Manor. There was no sign of movement in the house.

"Mum? Dad? Dobbina? Blinky?" Rose called as she looked around. There were 2 simultaneous pops as both Dobbina and Blinky popped into the Floo room.

"Mistress Rose called?" the house elves asked in unison.

Rose smiled warmly at them. "Yes, I did, and for Merlin's sake, please stop calling me mistress!" Rose exclaimed. "Now, do you know where mum and dad are?"

At that moment, James and Lily opened the door to the Floo room. They kneeled down next to the fire, near Blinky and Dobbina.

"Hi, darling," Lily said affectionately. James smiled and greeted his daughter.

"What's wrong, princess?" James asked. With a grim expression, Rose launched into their tale. She also mentioned that this was the second night in a row that Harry and Ginny had failed to visit their dorms properly. Lily immediately sprang into action. She hauled herself up with a little difficulty but went upstairs. James told Rose to stay connected while he went to help her mother. He ran after her and took the small bag gently from her. He glanced inside it and saw that his beautiful wife had already packed everything that they needed for one night. He guided her downstairs and told Rose to cut the connection as they were coming through.

Rose looked surprised that they were ready already but nodded and pulled her head out of the fire. Moments later, her mother stepped out of the fire. She wobbled but Rose grabbed her arm and helped her stand upright. Lily gave her daughter a hug and waddled over to Madam Pomfrey to ask about Harry's condition.

James left a message with the house elves, saying that they would be at Hogwarts and to check the wards were intact. He then followed his family into the floo, saying, "Hospital wing, Hogwarts!" loudly. He stumbled out but managed to stay on his feet. He then headed over to Madam Pomfrey's office where Lily and Rose were.

After a lengthy conversation, the Potters went over to sit by Harry. There, they met Ron and Hermione.

"Well, Ron, who is this lovely lady?" James teased. Ron blushed but said that, "Hermione's just a friend."

James continued to tease Ron for the next hour until Lily smacked him upside the head and told him to behave. Hermione smiled at Lily and they began to talk about various things. James engaged Ron in conversation while keeping a watch on the 2 sleeping children. Around 1 o'clock, Harry stirred. Everyone suddenly fell silent and looked at them, but Harry shifted his arm to go around Ginny. As they watched, Ginny snuggled into the crook of his arm. Lily smiled and James gently ruffled his son's at the scene that had unfolded. They looked really cute together.

At around 2 o'clock, Rose, Ron and Hermione fell asleep. Hermione and Ron were leaning against the bed whilst Rose was tucked in her father's lap. An hour later, James and Lily followed suit. Everyone ended up lying on the bed in one way or another. Madam Pomfrey came over to cover them with a blanket before turning in herself.

The next morning, Hermione awoke to find her head in Ginny's lap. She shifted uncomfortably and realised that there was a blanket covering her. She briefly wondered why she was in the hospital wing and why her back was hurting. Memories of the previous night came flooding back to her and her heart sank. She glanced at Harry who was still sleeping and sighed. She carefully disentangled herself from Lily and Ginny and stood up, stretching like a cat. She silently padded to the bathroom to relieve herself before coming back and sitting with the rest.

As she sat down on her chair, Lily woke up. She glanced around and smiled at Hermione. Hermione smiled back nervously. Suddenly, Lily covered her mouth with her hand and stood up. She walked as fast as she could to the bathroom and Hermione heard her vomiting. She stood up as well and followed Mrs. Potter to the bathroom. Lily was leaning against the toilet rim and was currently wiping her mouth. Hermione tentatively patted her on the back as Lily felt a fresh wave of nausea.

After she had finished, Lily smiled at Hermione gratefully.

"Are you ok, Mrs. Potter?" Hermione asked. Lily nodded and smiled at Hermione.

"Yes, thank you, Hermione. It's just pregnancy effects. One of the bad things about pregnancy." Hermione laughed heartily and they made their way out of the small bathroom. They collided with James outside of the bathroom.

"Lily-bean, are you alright? I was just going to see if you were alright," James said anxiously. Lily smiled.

"I'm alright now, James, now that Hermione has joined me," she said, grinning. James seemed to notice Hermione for the first time.

"Good morning, Hermione," he said warmly. Hermione smiled.

"Good morning, Mr. Potter."

"Oh, and by the way, Hermione, its James and Lily, not Mr. and Mrs. Potter," James added, gesturing to him and Lily. Hermione nodded and they went back to Harry's bed in a slightly cheerful mood. There, a wonderful sight greeted them. Harry was awake and was talking to Ginny. Both their faces were red.

"Harry!" Lily rushed over to her son and gave him a bone crushing hug. She finally pulled away after a couple of seconds and held him at arm's length, scrutinizing him. "Oh Harry! It's only the second day of the first term, _of your first year, _yet, you haven't managed to stay in your dormitories yet! What's going to happen when you're older?" Lily chided. Harry grinned nervously. Lily stepped back from him and James took her place.

"Hey, son. I see you've managed to get a girl in your bed at 11 years old. I didn't manage that until I was in my 6th year! Heck, it took me 7 years for your mum to even agree to go out with me! Ow!"

Lily glared at James whilst Ginny blushed. At this commotion, Rose and Ron woke up, Ron groaning.

"What's wrong, Ron?" Lily asked. Ron just shook his head and sat up straight, blinking rapidly. He then realised where he was and turned to Lily.

"How's Harry?" he asked, oblivious to the fact that his mate was awake. Harry decided to scare him.

"Mate, I'm fine now, made better by the fact that you guys were there to support me!" Harry started to laugh at the sight of Ron's face and Ginny soon joined him. Ron had jumped about a foot in the air and then turned to face Harry, hand on his chest.

"Harry! Don't _ever_ do that again!" Ron said a scared expression on his face. Harry laughed harder, clutching his stomach at the sight of Ron's face. Lily, James, Rose and Hermione had joined the bonded couple in laughing. Soon, Madam Pomfrey came out of her office to see what was going on and was surprised to see the Potters, Weasleys and Miss Granger laughing; Ron had joined them in laughing after a couple of minutes.

"Well, Mr. Potter, if you are feeling better, you may go right now," Madam Pomfrey said, smiling at them. Everyone jumped at the sight of Madam Pomfrey. She gestured at the door. "If you're ready, Mr. Potter," she said again. Harry nearly jumped out of bed in delight.

"Really?!" he asked incredulously. Madam Pomfrey nodded. Harry immediately leapt up and turned to his father to ask for his clothes. James chuckled and told Harry to lie down and eat his breakfast. He reluctantly sat down whilst his father got up and went to his dormitory to get his school uniform. Rose, Ron, Ginny and Hermione joined him in having their breakfast.

Half an hour later saw the 5 children fully dressed, waiting outside for their first lesson of the day, Charms. They followed tiny Professor Flitwick inside of the classroom, Ginny catching sight of a stack of thick tomes behind his desk before they were shunted along by the moving crowd. They managed to get seats together at the back and pulled out their text books and wands. As Lily was also very accomplished in Charms, she had also tutored her children and the Weasleys in that subject. As a result, Harry, Ron, Rose, Ginny and Hermione were the first ones to complete the charm they were learning, the levitating charm.

The downside of this was that Hermione and Ron ended up having a row, after Hermione corrected Ron on his pronunciation of the incantation. After Professor Flitwick had seen them do the charm successfully, they began to move around the classroom, helping their fellow Gryffindors to complete the charm as well. As a result, each of them earned 10 house points each, causing Malfoy to sneer at them from across the classroom. When Professor Flitwick had toppled over, causing his books to fall on top of him and several students to come to his aid, Malfoy caused across the classroom.

"Hey, mudbloods! Stop sucking up to teachers, stop being teachers pets! Especially you, Granger. You're just some Muggle filth, unworthy to walk in this sch- Arghhh!" Harry and Ron had raced across the classroom with their wands in their hands, pointing them at Malfoy's neck.

"Y-you w-w-won't be able t-to h-hex m-me, w-we haven't l-learnt a-any y-yet," Malfoy stuttered, daunted by the wands which were now poking his neck.

"Try me," Harry muttered dangerously. Malfoy gulped. Harry reluctantly put away his wand and motioned for Ron to do the same after Ginny gave him a warning that Professor Flitwick was finally alright and he was about to stand on his books. Harry and Ron hasted back to their seats where Rose and Ginny had their arms around Hermione whose eyes were rimmed with red.

"Are you ok, Hermione? No one does that to our best friends and gets away with it," Ron said worriedly whilst Harry nodded vigorously by his side. She nodded and wiped her eyes. Rose and Ginny, who still had their arms around the older girl, each gave a death glare across the classroom to Malfoy who was surrounded by Slytherins who were looking over in their direction. At their faces, each one of the Slytherins turned away. The lesson was now nearly over so Professor Flitwick decided to let them go early. He hopped off the stack of books and hid behind it to avoid the stampede of first years.

The rest of the day was good, as for the first time this year, they were away from the Slytherins. They had Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and then free time until 12am, when they had Astronomy with the Ravenclaws.

They spent the day finishing off their potions homework and generally relaxing and having fun. Rose was called out twice to help with some injuries. When she came back the second time, she commented, "You should see the amount of injuries people have in this place. It's bizarre!"

At 10, Rose suggested that they should sleep until 12 as they would need the rest. Ron complained about the time, saying that it was too early but at a glance from his sister, he fell silent. He followed Harry into their dormitory, helped him to find his bed and climbed into bed himself. They fell asleep in their shirt and trousers, sleeping peacefully. At 11:30, Hermione came barging into their dormitory, demanding that they wake up or they would be late for Astronomy. The boys, being drowsy, didn't realise that Hermione, who was a girl, was in the boys dorm. They put their robes back on and grabbed their bags. Before Ron could say that he was hungry, everyone apart from Hermione tossed him a chocolate frog to shut his mouth. He looked in shock at them and they answered simultaneously, "We know you, Ronald."

They headed towards the Astronomy tower, everyone munching on some chocolate. Harry and Ginny started to converse in their heads, oblivious to their surroundings.

"Harry? Harry? Harry!" Harry jumped. Rose waved her hand in front of his face, glaring at him. "What were you thinking about? Your eyes were all cloudy. I've been trying to get your attention for 10 minutes now. We've arrived." Harry looked around and saw that they were in the roomy Astronomy tower. He then answered Rose's question.

"Um, I was talking to Ginny. You know," he said, tapping his head with his finger. She nodded and suddenly gave him a hug. He awkwardly patted his sister on the back.

"What's wrong, sis?"

Rose looked at him worriedly. "Well, I've been reading the books that Madam Pomfrey gave me on healing. There was a particular chapter on the Imperius curse, you know, the one dad told us about. Anyway, some of the symptoms were that people under the curse get cloudy eyes and a vacant look on their face. You looked exactly like you were under that curse, so I was worried about you, bro."

Harry smiled at his sister and nodded at the explanation. It made sense. He patted his sister on the arm comfortingly. They began to chat with each other, enjoying some time with their sibling. Hermione talked with Ron and Ginny, giving the Potters some time with their siblings. Soon enough, the Ravenclaws started to file in, taking seats at the various telescopes. Harry and co. joined them, each of them sitting next to each other. Whilst waiting for their Professor, they began to get to know each other. Harry chatted with Padma Patil, Parvati Patil's twin sister. He also chatted with Anthony Goldstein and Terry Boot. Hermione, Ginny and Rose talked to Su Li, Lisa Turpin and Michael Corner. Ron also interacted with the Ravenclaws, choosing to talk to Mandy Brocklehurst and Kevin Entswhistle.

Soon, Professor Sinistra walked in, followed by the rest of the Gryffindor who had failed to come in early. They joined Hermione and co. near the Gryffindor side of the room and hurriedly pulled out their books. Professor Sinistra glanced at them and then began to talk to the class. As the class progressed, Harry heard a stray thought from Ginny: _"Sinistra's like McGonagall."_ Harry smirked and nodded discreetly to her.

The rest of the lesson passed in a blur. It was 1 o'clock in the morning when a tired group of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws emerged from the Astronomy tower. They each separated when they climbed down the stairs of the room, the Ravenclaws going towards the stairs where their common room was located 2 floors down, whereas the Gryffindors headed to their left on their way to their common room, pinpointed behind the portrait of the Fat lady.

The rest of September and most of October passed without any incident. On Halloween, Harry and Ginny were making their way back to Gryffindor tower to put away their bags before the Halloween feast that night when they heard a dull 'clunk' sound. Harry stopped in his tracks whilst Ginny carried on walking. He strained his ears to listen, trying to hear another one but it stopped. He ran forward to catch up with Ginny and they walked the rest of the way to Gryffindor tower. Ginny was preoccupied with thoughts of Hermione whom they hadn't seen since Potions that day. Malfoy had once again insulted Hermione and she had taken offence. As a result, she had skipped all of her lessons for the remainder of the day and Harry, Ron, Rose or Ginny had not seen her since the disastrous lesson.

They quickly deposited their bags in their respective dormitories and headed towards the Great Hall. They joined Ron and Rose without a word. Soon, delicious food appeared on the golden plates and all thoughts of Hermione were gone from their minds. Just as they finished desert, Quirrell burst in through the doors, screaming "TROLL! There's a mountain troll in the dungeons!" With that said, he fainted.

Panic spread through the Great Hall like fire. Everyone stood up and started scrambling towards the doors. Dumbledore stood up immediately and roared, "SILENCE! Everyone will immediately sit down. Prefects, please lead your younger house mates back to their common rooms. That will be all."

The prefects stood up and directed their housemates towards each other. Soon, the hall was empty. Halfway towards Gryffindor tower, Ron suddenly remembered that Hermione didn't know about the troll.

"Harry, Rose, Gin, Hermione doesn't know about the troll! What if it attacks her?" Ron stared worriedly at them. Harry immediately went into action. He ordered Rose and Ginny to go back towards the tower but they refused. Ron sighed and Harry joined him. They knew that the 2 redheads were very stubborn but they didn't want to argue with them some more: the longer they stayed, the closer the troll got towards Hermione.

"Fine. Ron, let's take these 2 with us and rescue Hermione." With that said, Harry led the others towards the dungeon, looking back every so often to see if Percy was looking at them. They hurried away down the stairs and managed to avoid being seen by any teachers. By the looks of things, they had either gathered in the staff room or gone to their private quarters.

Suddenly, a shrill scream cut through the air. "Hermione!" Ginny and Rose yelled. They followed their brothers racing towards the source of the sound.

Harry's stopped in his tracks when he saw the state of the bathroom on the 2nd floor. Sinks were pulled off, causing water to be sprayed everywhere. There was only 1 sink intact and Hermione was cowering beneath it, yelling for help. The stalls were all smashed, piles of rubble surrounding Hermione.

Rose and Ginny immediately  
ran forward to protect their friend but were stopped by Ron who said quickly, "We need to get Hermione out fast, but don't just rush in there. We need to think of this logically." Just as the troll took a step towards Hermione, intending on hurting her, Harry decided that something had to be done and fast. He ran forwards and launched himself at the troll's back, distracting it for a couple of seconds. Ginny, who Harry had spoken to moments before he had jumped on the troll, alerted Rose and Ron. The girls ran forward and grabbed Hermione, pulling her to safety. Ginny looked back on the scene whilst Rose checked the older girl over for any injuries. Thankfully, she didn't have any.

Harry motioned for Ron to do something whilst he did something really stupid. In desperation, he pulled out his wand and stuck it up the troll's nose. Ron remembered the spell that they had learned in their first ever Charms lesson and aimed his wand at the bat that the troll was holding.

"Wingardium Leviosa!" he yelled. As if by magic (lol), the bat rose up. He was hit by another idea. He levitated it over the troll's head and cancelled the spell. The bat hit the troll on the head, effectively knocking it out. Harry jumped off when he was 3 feet from the ground, making sure that he wasn't squashed by the troll before it landed. He looked at Ron.

"Thanks mate." They embraced and walked out of the bathroom when they were met by a startling sight. Professors McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore were waiting for them.

**A/N: Sorry for such a late update but I've been really busy with lots of stuff. The thing is, I'm going on holiday on the 24****th**** of March till the end of April so my next update probably won't be till May. By the way, have any of you heard the Potter rock anthem by Bestdayever band? **

**Have a good day and I'll see you in a couple of months!**


	15. Filler Chapter

**Chapter 15: Filler Chapter**

_"Thanks mate." They embraced and walked out of the bathroom when they were met by a startling sight. Professors McGonagall, Snape and Dumbledore were waiting for them._

Harry stopped dead in his tracks. Snape looked at him with that piercing stare Harry was growing slowly accustomed to. He felt something probe his mind but before he could say anything, it withdrew. Without realising it, he had maintained eye contact with the Potions master. With a little difficulty, he tore his eyes away from Snape and focused on what Professor McGonagall was saying.

"-normally can result in expulsion. However-"

"Expulsion?" Harry blurted in shock. "Anything but that! I'll even serve detention with Filch if it means not being expelled!"

Professor Dumbledore smiled at Harry, his piercing blue eyes twinkling in the dim light. "Mr. Potter, please let Professor McGonagall finish what she was saying. As to expulsion, no one will be getting expelled, especially in light of recent events."

Harry grinned and turned back to Professor McGonagall. Her face was stern, although the corners of her mouth twitched. "As I was saying, Potter, instead of getting expelled, you and Mr. Weasley will be expected to serve detention. In contrast to this situation, you, Mr Weasley, Miss Weasley, Miss Potter and Miss Granger will each receive 10 points to Gryffindor." Snape stepped forward to protest but was stopped by Professor Dumbledore.

"But Albus, Potter-"Snape started to say but was cut off by Dumbledore who said sharply, "Severus, enough." Snape shut up, albeit reluctantly; he sent a glare at Harry and Ron to vent his feelings. Professor Dumbledore motioned for Professor McGonagall to lead the 2 boys away and turned back to Snape. Together, they walked down the corridor and parted at the stairs: Snape headed towards the dungeons whilst Professor Dumbledore vanished behind the Gargoyle.

As Snape made his way to the dungeons, his thoughts wandered to his time at Hogwarts as a student. His thoughts once again fell onto Lily and he sighed dejectedly. Lily was the only girl he loved and he had made a vow that he would always love her, no matter what. After all, he was only 18 when he had made that vow, fresh from school and ready to overcome the next big step in life: finding a job.

As he entered his private quarters, he waved his wand and a bottle of Firewhiskey zoomed over to him. Gratefully, he popped it open and took a large swig, ignoring the burning sensation on the way down. After a couple of hours, he had managed to drink 3 bottles of Firewhiskey and was well and truly sloshed. He managed to stumble to his room and collapsed on the bed fully clothed.

Professor McGonagall led the 2 students towards the Gryffindor Common room, tight lipped. As she turned to leave the Common Room, Ron called, "Professor, what happened to the girls?" Professor McGonagall turned and looked at the 2 boys.

"Mrs.- Miss Weasley and Miss Potter took Miss Granger to the Hospital Wing to be checked over." Before the 2 boys could say anything, she added, "Miss Granger is perfectly fine. However, Madam Pomfrey would like to keep her in for shock, she just had a nasty one."

At the Common room door, she spun around and said, "May I ask why Miss Granger was in the toilets all afternoon, not in her classes?" Harry and Ron looked at each other nervously. Then, Harry began to talk.

"Well, Professor..." Harry recounted what Malfoy had said and then how they couldn't find her all afternoon. After he had finished, Professor McGonagall was tight lipped. She nodded at the end of the story.

"I will be speaking to Professor Snape about Mr. Malfoy's behaviour. Oh, and you may visit Miss Granger if you wish to. Hurry now, it's nearly curfew." With that, she walked out of the Common room. A second later, the 2 boys followed, hurrying to visit Hermione in the Hospital Wing.

**A/N: Sorry that its a bit short but I was feeling a little bit generous and now I have quite a lot of time on my hands so I thought that I would post another one for you guys. See you in May!**


	16. Chapter 16: Resting time

**Chapter 16: Resting time **

**A/N: In this chapter, Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey, and possibly some other characters, will be OOC (For those who don't know what this means, it's Out Of Character).**

Professor McGonagall made her way to Professor Snape's private quarters, intent on speaking to him about the behaviour of the majority of Slytherin House. As a Head of House herself, she expected Severus to take action against the offending student, but, having experienced his behaviour before, she knew that he wouldn't do anything to him, especially as he was Mr. Malfoy's godfather. She shuddered at that thought. Severus Snape, a godfather! And to a Malfoy, to add salt to the wound!

She snapped out of her thoughts just in time to avoid walking into the dungeon wall. Hurriedly, she sidestepped and opened the door to the dungeon classroom. Finding it empty, she climbed the steps towards the office. She rapped sharply on the office door. "Severus? Severus, are you in there?" When there was no answer, she opened the door. She was immediately hit with the strong stench of Firewhiskey. She coughed and cast the bubble head charm on herself, shielding herself from the alcohol and making her airways clear. "Severus?"

Looking around, she noticed that the bedroom door was ajar. Creeping in, she froze in horror. Professor Severus Tobias Snape, Potions Master at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the man who claimed that he had never been drunk, was lying, fully clothed on the bed, obviously very much tipsy. She stared at him in disgust. After a few minutes, she decided to leave him be. However, she didn't bother to leave him a hangover cure; it would serve him right when he couldn't even get up.

She hurried out of his private quarters, taking care to close the door. Once she was safely out of the dungeons, she cancelled the Bubble Head charm. She headed up to the Hospital Wing to visit Miss Granger and to see if Harry and Ron had reached the Hospital Wing safely.

Harry and Ron followed Professor McGonagall out of the Common Room and watched as she disappeared down the stairs. They followed her until they reached the third floor, where the Hospital Wing was situated. On arriving there, they headed straight over to Hermione, Ron leading, ignoring Madam Pomfrey's protests that it was almost curfew and that they should head back to Gryffindor Tower.

The girls were huddled around Hermione's bed, talking in whispers. Eventually, Madam Pomfrey had given up trying to throw Ginny and Rose out but was now back in full force. Hermione finally decided that she should get rid of Madam Pomfrey.

"Madam Pomfrey?" she asked sweetly, interrupting the matron in her rant.

"Yes, my dear?"

"Could you please let the boys visit us, I promise you, I'm perfectly fine, and they'll be out in 30 minutes?" Hermione gave her an earnest look.

Harry, catching on immediately, added, "Professor McGonagall said that she would be here to take us back to the Common Room after she has done whatever she was going to do. Please let us stay?"

Looking at Ginny's and Rose's puppy eyes, she hesitated, then turned around and went to her office. Ginny turned to Hermione and said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you! I thought she'd never leave!" Unfortunately for Ginny, Madam Pomfrey hadn't closed the door of her office and had heard that comment.

"10 points from Gryffindor, Mrs.-Miss Weasley." Ginny blushed and turned back to Hermione.

Harry decided to fill the silence by commenting, "That's the second person who's done that, y' know." Rose turned to them. "Done what?"

Harry gave a side glance at Ron before answering, "Called Ginny 'Mrs,' stopped, and then called her, 'Miss Weasley.'" Ron turned to Harry and said, "Yeah, McGonagall said that to us in the Common Room, didn't she, Harry?" Harry nodded and stared off into the distance. At a closer inspection, Ginny was doing the same and Rose realised that they were talking to each other.

Hermione's gasp tore them all out of their reveries. "What? What's wrong, Hermione? Is everything ok?" Ron asked. Hermione nodded excitedly. "Yes, Ron, everything's fine." Ron looked confused. "Then why'd you gasp?" Hermione rolled her eyes. "Because, Ronald, I've just realised something!"

Rose looked at Hermione. "You don't think...-?" Hermione nodded. Rose grinned. "What? What is it?" Ginny asked her best friend, but Rose refused to answer. Ron turned to Harry. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

Harry clapped Ron's shoulder. "Mate, it depends if you're thinking what I think you're thinking, and if you are thinking what I think you're thinking, then we are definitely thinking what the other is thinking!"

Ginny burst out laughing along with Professor McGonagall, who had come in unnoticed by the first years. The boys turned to Hermione and Rose and said as one, "Girls are mental!" **(A/N: by the way, I'm a girl myself and I've taken that line from J.K.R).**

Then, they whipped around to face Ginny, only to see Professor McGonagall standing there. "H-hello, Professor, w-w-we were j-just-"Ron started to say, only to be cut off by the teacher's laughter.

"10 points each to Gryffindor for that lovely display of amusement!" she said. Then, she got her laughter under control and said, more sternly, "Come on, let's go now, we need to leave Miss Granger in peace. I trust Madam Pomfrey will let you out tomorrow?" Hermione nodded. After a quick round of goodbyes, the group of Gryffindors left the Hospital Wing.

Halfway through the journey, on the fifth floor, Filch saw the group walking towards him. He grinned his nasty, evil grin and said, "Students out of bed after curfew, I'll have you for this! Just wait until your Head of House will hear about this, I'm telling you!" He didn't notice Professor McGonagall in the shadows and advanced towards them. Just as he got near Rose, both Harry and Professor McGonagall moved at the same time. Harry stepped forwards to shield his sister from the frightful caretaker whilst Professor McGonagall moved out from the shadows behind him.

"Don't touch my sister!" Harry shouted. At the same time, Professor McGonagall tapped Filch on the shoulder.

"I think you'll find, Mr Filch, that these students were with me, I gave them permission to be out of bed after curfew and now, we were heading back to the Common Room. Now, do you wish to be fired? If not, I suggest that you move out of the way and go back to bed." It wasn't a question. Filch turned on his heel and stalked off, Mrs. Norris following him. All the time, he muttered under his breath.

At the door of the Common Room, Professor McGonagall turned to the 4 first years and said, "You and Miss Granger have my permission to have the day off tomorrow." Ron looked on incredulously. "All of us?" McGonagall nodded. "Yes, Mr. Weasley, all of you. Now off to bed with you all." With that, she moved off, intending to tell Professor Flitwick about Severus's drunken adventure, as she had decided to nickname.

"Professor?" Professor McGonagall stopped and turned around.

"Yes, Ms Potter?"

"Well, the thing is, we have Professor Snape for double potions first thing, and I doubt he will like it if none of us turn up, so, if it's alright with you, can you talk to him please?"

To her surprise, their Head of House smiled. "I don't think that he will be a problem. However, I will talk to him just in case. Oh, and you are relieved of your healer duties until Monday. Goodnight."Harry turned to the Fat lady and uttered the password. They each climbed in through the portrait hole and separated; the boys headed up the left staircase whilst the girls headed up the right one.

Everyone fell asleep pretty quickly. Everyone except Ginny. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable but it didn't work. At around three in the morning, her head was suddenly filled with the groggy but angry voice of Harry Potter.

_'Ginny! Go to sleep!'_ Harry yelled. Ginny winced. _'I'm trying, Harry, but I can't!' _she shot back. Harry sighed inwardly. _'Just think nice thoughts. Nice, calm thoughts...'_ Soon, Ginny was asleep. Harry turned over and buried his face in his pillow. Soon, he too was floating in the land of dreams.

"Harry! Harry! Wake up, Harry!" Harry turned over and groaned. Seamus Finnegan was standing over him, holding a pillow and shouting his name.

"What's the time?" he mumbled.

"Six o'clock in the morning!"

Harry groaned. "Then why'd you wake me up?"

Seamus glared at him. "You were shouting stuff in your sleep. 'No, no, leave it alone!'" he mimicked Harry's voice.

Harry groaned again. "Go back to bed and leave me alone! In fact, all of you get out of here and let me sleep in peace!" For that comment, he was rewarded with four pillows in the head. He decided to make good use of them and tucked them under his head. He gave a contented sigh and closed his eyes, only to open them a second later to see four figures looming over him.

"Fine," he grumbled, tossing each person a pillow and getting out of bed; there was no chance of getting back to sleep once he was awake. He rubbed his eyes. He had only managed to get 6 hours sleep in the whole night, seeing as they got back at midnight.

He pulled the hangings shut around his bed while he got changed, then headed down towards the Great Hall for an early breakfast. He had the whole day free from classes so he started to put it to good use. He headed back up to the Common Room and got out his Homework. By 9 o'clock, he had finished all of his homework. He thought that his work would have made Hermione proud. He grabbed another piece of toast to celebrate.

For that thought, Ginny gave him a hug. She and Hermione had come to the Common Room, Hermione from the Hospital Wing and Ginny from the Dormitory, at around the same time he had come back from the Great Hall. Ginny ran downstairs and had come back 5 minutes later with a stack of toast and had grabbed her homework from the table; Hermione had brought her bag down for her. They had less since they had done it as they went along whilst Harry had left it all to the last minute.

At 10 o'clock, Ron finally came down into the almost empty Common Room to find Harry asleep on the sofa with Ginny and Hermione on either side of him. Hermione was reading a book on one side of the sofa whilst Harry and Ginny were asleep on the other side.

Hermione heard a scuffling sound and looked up to see Ron standing at the bottom of the boys' staircase, looking angrily at Harry and Ginny. Harry had his arm around his sister and was sleeping peacefully. Hermione stood up, sensing that Ron was going to lose his temper, and led him away from the sleeping first years.

"Ron, calm down please. Take a deep breath and relax." He looked at Hermione and complied. In, out, in, out, he breathed.

"Are you ready to listen and not shout?" Hermione asked. He nodded.

"Ok, what happened was that both Harry and Ginny were awake since 6 o'clock. Harry was first down and after breakfast, he came back to the Common Room where he joined me and Ginny to finish his homework. Then, Harry and Ginny both felt tired so they went to sleep, _on the opposite sides of the couch, _I might add." Ron looked confused.

"Then why are they lying together?" At that moment, Rose put in an appearance. "Yeah, Hermione, why are they lying together?"

Both Ron and Hermione jumped.

"Rose! How long have you been here?"

Rose grinned. "Long enough to hear your explanation and to see you calm Ron here." She gave Ron a meaningful look who blushed and looked embarrassed.

"So, Rose, I don't know but it might be another thing to find out with that _thing_ we talked about yesterday." Rose nodded understandingly. Ron just looked from Hermione to Rose and back. He repeated his phrase from last night in the Hospital Wing.

Rose glared at him. Ron glanced at his watch and saw that breakfast was finished over an hour ago.

"Oh great, I've missed breakfast!" he groaned. Hermione pointed at the stack of toast. "Tuck in, you too, Rose, before he scoffs all the toast. Rose laughed and headed over to join Ron in breakfast.

After a quick breakfast, Rose joined Hermione in poring over the book whilst Ron took out his copy of _Quidditch through the ages_ and began to read that, occasionally glancing at Harry and Ginny every so often. They were all calm and relaxed, not thinking about the lessons that they were missing. On the other side of the castle, however, all was not what it seemed.

Snape groaned as he woke up with an extreme headache. He sat up, looked around for his wand, found it and summoned a hangover potion. Once drinking it, he began to feel much better, though still light headed. He stood up and headed over to the bathroom as he began to feel nauseated.

After vomiting, he felt a little better. He glanced at the time and swore. He had a little over 10 minutes to have some breakfast and to prepare for his next class, double potions with Potter and his so-called friends. On second thoughts, he had a little over 10 minutes to prepare for his next class; his stomach didn't like the sound of breakfast.

At that moment, there was a knock at the door. He sighed. _'Who the heck could this be?'_  
He opened the door to see Professor McGonagall standing there. He was surprised and this must have showed for Professor McGonagall stated, "Well? Can I come in, Severus? By the way, are you feeling better from last night's... drunken adventure?"

Snape blanched. "Y-you know about that, Minerva?" he asked, stuttering. Well, that was a first. Slytherins _never_ stuttered. Ever.

She smirked at the look on the Potion Master's face. "Yes. Actually, I came to talk to you last night but you were a little preoccupied. I left you to it. Before I forget, did you know that you slept fully clothed?"

Snape looked down and groaned inwardly. "Ok, what did you need to talk to me about?"

"I've got a couple of things to talk to you about. Firstly, Mr. Malfoy's behaviour. I know that he is in your house, but it is your responsibility to make sure nothing hurtful is said to any students outside of your own house. The behaviour of Mr. Malfoy is unacceptable and I will not tolerate it. Please do something about it."

Snape nodded but really, he had no intention of doing anything. He thought-in fact, he knew- that there was nothing wrong with Mr. Malfoy.

"Also, I just wanted to say that Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, Miss Granger, Mr. Weasley and Miss Potter will not be attending your class today. Do not say anything to them on Monday, or the rest of the term or I will personally take some action against it. Understood?"

Snape nodded and watched as she walked out of his private quarters and closed the door behind her. He picked up his wand and waved it once, putting his room back to normal. He hated messy rooms and this showed as he shuddered. After giving the room a sweeping look, he walked out and performed some certain locking charms to prevent intruders. Banging open the classroom door, he muted the excited chattering of the children.

"Today, we will be making a Boil Cure. Make sure that they are good as Madam Pomfrey may need them soon. Instructions are on the board. Oh, and keep the noise down or the offending persons will be getting a detention." Pointing his wand at the blackboard, he sat down behind his desk, glowering at the students.

Neville gulped. Harry and his friends weren't here to help him with his Potions. Today, he was surely going to get into trouble, one way or another. To his surprise, instead of breathing down students' necks, he sat down at his desk. He grinned to himself. 'Today, I'm going to make a perfect potion,' he thought determinedly.

"Longbottom!" Snape yelled. Neville jumped, startled. He quickly stood up and headed over to the Ingredients cupboard to get the necessary items. Three hours passed in peace for Neville, resulting in a perfect potion made by him. At the end of the lesson, Professor Snape tested every person on their boil cures by casting a hex at each person. No one's potion was completely correct except Neville's. Dean and Seamus stared at him in amazement along with Professor Snape.

Neville's heart beat fast as Professor Snape pointed the wand at Seamus, who was standing right next to him. He watched fearfully as Seamus gulped and drained his potion in one. Seamus' features distorted painfully until no one could recognise him anymore. Like all the others, he sent him off to one side of the room to wait for Madam Pomfrey to arrive. Then, he pointed the wand at Neville. Neville picked up his glass vial, closed his eyes and waited for the spell to hit him.

Dean watched as Snape pointed the wand at Neville and cast the familiar spell that he had too many times that day. Neville stood quite still as the silver jet of light was absorbed into his skin. Neville immediately drained his vial and waited for the pain. It didn't come. As collective gasps echoed in the dungeons, Neville opened his eyes and stared in the mirror that Professor Snape had conjured. Neville stared at his reflection in shock. He reached up and touched his face. His potion had worked! He turned to face Seamus and Dean whose expressions were the same as his own. Professor Snape also looked at him in shock. To piss him off even more, Neville grinned at him.

Harry woke up with a start. His arm was aching; he could feel a weight on his arm. He shifted slightly to see a red headed girl lying on his arm. She was lying in such a position on his arm that he couldn't get up unless he woke her up. 10 minutes passed. The common room was empty which meant that no one could move Ginny. Another 20 went by. Harry's arm was now very much numb. He also needed the toilet. Badly. A further 10 minutes went, in which Harry decided to call for help. "Hermione? Ron? Neville? Anyone? Help me!" he called. There was no reply. He sighed dejectedly. There was no option but to wake Ginny up. Harry shifted slightly, and as he did so, Ginny stirred. Harry held his breath but Ginny turned over. In doing so, the weight lifted from Harry's arm and he sighed in relief. He gently removed his hand from beneath her body and sat up. He cradled his numb arm in his other one. Soon, he knew that he would get pins and needles in his arm. He stood up and headed up the First year boys' dormitory to have a quick shower and a change of clothes.

Ginny woke up suddenly. Where was she? Then, she recognised her surroundings. She sat up groggily and wrapped her arms around herself. After a couple of minutes of sitting there, she decided to go and change her clothes. A shower wouldn't do her any good because her mother had placed a tracker charm on her so that she knew what she was doing at all times and Ginny knew that her mother disapproved of anyone in her family showering 2 times in a day. As her mother's best friend (Lily Potter) was a muggle born, Lily had introduced the Weasleys to some muggle things. As a result, her mother had become an eco freak and didn't want to waste anything even though they were wizards.

Lily had also given the children some lessons on the electives that they would receive in their 3rd year except from Divination. Lily absolutely hated Divination because she used to be a seer, although no one knew. She had told the current headmaster at that time (Dumbledore) and he had worked on training her. Unfortunately, she was met with an accident that made her lose her Seer powers. Lily had felt so devastated that everyone was worried about her. She had gone through a phase of depression because she had saved a lot of lives with her special ability. Now that it was gone, she couldn't help anyone anymore. Those were dark and dangerous times as it was the first wizarding war and she couldn't help anyone anymore. These were the thoughts that Lily Potter dwelled in as she wandered around the large Potter Manor. Her belly was quite large now, at 6 months pregnant.

She had visited the Mediwitch that day and found out that she was having a daughter. A baby girl, they had said. She had thought of her son, who would be lonely now with another sister to play with, and of her daughter, who would be delighted to have a sister to look after and play with, even though her children had their surrogate brothers and sister, the Weasleys.

"Lily?" James' voice startled Lily out of her thoughts. Lily glanced around the room she had ended up in hours ago and realised she was sitting in her bedroom at her desk.

"In our room, James!" she called. She heard footsteps and James entered the room. Lily glanced at the Muggle alarm clock sitting on her desk and realised that it was past 7 o'clock. She turned to James and stood up, embracing him. James patted her on the back with a smile.

"Hey, Lily-bean," James greeted softly. Lily drew back from her husband with a smile. She leaned forward and gave him a peck on the lips. James smiled and took her by the hand, leading her down the stairs for a surprise. The house elves had outdone themselves with a romantic candlelit dinner for 2. A massive candelabrum stood sturdily in the middle of the table. It had a large candle in the middle of it like a flower with some smaller candles surrounding it. Rose petals were scattered lightly across the white table cloth. James looked at Lily, waiting for a reaction.

Lily turned to look at James with tears in her eyes. "Oh James, I don't know what to say! This is beautiful!" Sensing that she was very happy indeed, James quickly drew out the chair for his wife saying, "After you, milady." As soon as she was seated, James gave her an exaggerated bow before taking his seat on the other side of the table.

"We're ready," James said, seemingly talking to himself. Lily watched him, confusion written all over her face but she soon relaxed when 2 trays of food and 2 silver shining platters appeared before them. "Thank you, Charles!"

Lily lifted the lid of one of the trays to see what it was but James was one step ahead of her, already loading up her plate with her favourites. Lily gave him a dazzling smile and picked up her fork to taste the food.

Lily sighed in bless and rubbed her swelled belly. "That was delicious, James!" James smiled at her, feeling very, very happy.

"Guess what?" he asked her. Lily frowned in confusion before answering.

"I'm gonna take a guess, but did you c-"she was stopped in midsentence by James who replied gleefully, "I did!"

Lily smiled broadly. She felt really contented. James wrapped an arm around her and she snuggled into his embrace. "I didn't know you could cook!" James gave her a lopsided grin. "I didn't either until I decided to do something special for my wife. That was my first time cooking, I just followed the instructions that the house elves gave me. They disapproved of me cooking but I told them that I wanted to do this so reluctantly they left me alone." He glanced at his wife and realised that she was asleep. He caressed her hair.

"Come on, Lily-bean. Time to go to bed." He gathered her up in his arms and carried her up the stairs to their bedroom.

**A/N: I know, I know, I know. I know what I said but this was getting a bit too long so I decided to post it now. Hopefully, now my updates should be regular but I'm swamped with homework as I've just come back from my holiday, plus in the first week of June, I'm starting Year 8, a new system they've started in the U.K (I think). Read and Review!**

**Edited on 30/06/13 ****:)**


	17. Chapter 17: Nicolas Flamel

**Chapter 17: Nicolas Flamel**

Ginny and Harry spent the rest of the day with their friends. There were some heated moments between Harry, Ginny and Ron but they were resolved by Hermione and Rose. Everyone relaxed and enjoyed the day. Almost.

Dinner time came and everyone headed over to the Great Hall in a good mood. Unfortunately, it was spoiled by Malfoy. Harry stopped to tie his shoelace whilst telling his friends that he would meet them in the Great Hall. Unfortunately, today was the wrong day to let his friends to go on ahead. Unfortunately for Harry, Malfoy decided to confront him. How nice of him!

Harry knew he was in for trouble when he saw Malfoy approaching him. He also knew that Malfoy still held a grudge against him for getting him when he saved Neville's remembrall. Furthermore, Harry also knew that Malfoy was too scared to confront him when he was surrounded by his friends, seeing as he was scared of Ginny and Rose.

"Hey Potter!" Malfoy called. Crabbe and Goyle surrounded him, looming out at Harry. Harry stood up and let his bag fall to the ground.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Harry glanced around them to see if anyone was listening. No one was nearby.

"I want to have a duel, Potter. Tonight, 12:00, trophy room. Don't forget to bring your second. Be there." With that, he walked away. Harry was surprised. Normally, Malfoy wouldn't have got straight to the point. Today, he was probably in a hurry. Harry picked up his bag and headed over to the Great Hall, quickly taking his placed between Ron and Ginny. Hermione and Rose were opposite the 3. The latter 2 were talking quietly about something, no doubt the thing they had been working on all day.

"Guys!" Harry hissed. "Listen to this." He started to explain what Malfoy had told him, including the bit about his second. He turned to Ron after he had finished. It took quite a while as they were eating in between. "Mate, wanna be my second?"

Ron gaped at him. His fork, halfway to his mouth and full of food, fell out of his hand. It dropped to the floor with a loud _clang!_ and the food fell into his lap. Ron hastily grabbed his fork and Hermione vanished the food whilst people looked on.

"Yes, mate, of course I would. Anything for you." Ron grinned broadly at Harry. Hermione glared at them disapprovingly.

"Harry, seriously, I don't think you should do that. Malfoy could get you into serious trouble. You're definitely breaking at least 10 school rules and-"

"Hermione, come on, lighten up a bit," Ron said with a mouthful of chicken. Ginny leaned around Harry and slapped her brother on the arm. "Don't talk with your mouth full, Ronald." Rose grinned at Ginny, then turned back to her conversation with Hermione.

That night, Harry paced the half full Common Room worriedly. It was already quarter to 12 and he _had_ to get to the Trophy room, otherwise Malfoy would think that he was a chicken, and then he would be in trouble and then-

"Harry! Fred and George can make a distraction!" Rose leaned forward with excitement. Harry turned to Ginny with his eyes lit up in relief. She was standing up and already heading over towards the twins.

"Hey Fred, George, can you make a distraction for Harry and Ron?" she asked. George glanced at Ginny with confusion.

"Why?" Ginny sighed. "Because Harry and Ron have to sneak out of the Common Room to do something but it's too full and someone could easily notice them. We'll tell you guys tomorrow what they're going to do but for now, please can you do it for us? Pretty please?" Fred grinned at George. "Oh, and when we're done, Harry will wink at you."

"George... get the fireworks going." With those words, the twins sprang into action. Fred started to round up the Common Room towards where they were sitting whilst George grabbed the fireworks from the 3rd year boys' dormitory. Ginny grinned at Harry and he smiled back. Hermione glared at them but this time, she didn't say anything.

"Look Hermione, if you're really worried about us, then come with us," Harry said quietly. After a moment's thought, she snapped her book shut and went up the staircase to put her bag away. Then, Ron and Ginny went on ahead to open the portrait whilst Harry, Rose and Hermione followed carefully. Harry was the last one out and before he closed the Portrait Hole, he winked at the twins. Their adventure was about to begin.

Harry was surprised to see Neville lying shivering on the ground. It was already after curfew but he was outside. The others were kneeling next to him. Hermione was already rattling through ways of how to get him out of his predicament. From what he could tell, Malfoy had put him under a leg-locker curse.

"Hermione, use Finite Incantatem," Harry suggested. Hermione grinned at him and waved her wand accordingly. Neville grinned and jumped to his feet. "Thanks, Hermione!"

Rose glanced at Neville. "Neville, you're worth twelve of Malfoy, don't let him walk all over you!" He turned towards the portrait hole after giving Rose a grateful look to enter the Common Room but Harry had closed the Portrait. And the Fat lady was gone.

Harry groaned. Neville couldn't stay out here on his own or he would get caught by Filch. Then he brightened up as he was struck with a sudden thought but that was gone almost as soon as it came. He thought that he could use his dad's invisibility cloak but then realised that he had left it in the Tower. James had gifted this to his son when he turned 11 as well as many other things. Harry glanced at Ginny and after a quick conversation, they decided to bring Neville along with them.

"Nev, come with us. You'll get caught by Filch if we leave you here and we don't know how long the Fat Lady's going to take." Neville looked surprised, then confused.

"Where are you going, Harry?" Neville asked. Harry opened his mouth to answer but was stopped by Hermione who quickly butted in, "Malfoy challenged Harry to a duel and Harry agreed and now we're on our way there." Hermione turned towards Harry with a triumphant look.

"HERMIONE!" three voices yelled in unison. Hermione actually looked scared for a moment before she turned to Ginny, Rose and Ron.

"What?"

Ron opened his mouth to answer but Harry gave him a look that clearly said, Shut up or you'll die. Harry then began to usher them down the corridor and they began to walk in silence. When they got to the trophy room, Harry turned to his friends.

"Look, guys, if anything happens to me-"

"Nothing's going to happen to you, Harry," Rose and Ginny said simultaneously. Rose's eyes flashed dangerously at her brother. Harry sighed. "Fine. Never mind but anyway, if anything does happen-" A loud noise echoed around the corridor. Harry reeled back from the force of Rose's slap.

"For the last time, Potter, you-are-going-to-be-fine!" Rose gave him such a fierce glare that if looks could kill, Harry would be on the floor right now. _"Harry, you deserved that slap. Rose and I did tell you but you didn't listen," _Ginny's voice came in his head. Harry rolled his eyes but didn't say anything.

Neville and Ron gave him looks of sympathy. Harry clutched his burning cheek and pushed open the door. There, he got the second shock of that evening. Malfoy wasn't there. Malfoy had tricked them. This meant that Malfoy had chickened out.

Just then, there was a sound. Harry looked down and saw Mrs. Norris. Her red eyes gleamed up at them. She meowed loudly and turned back to go to Filch. Hermione quickly pushed Ginny, Neville and Rose behind a suit of armour and Harry, Ron and herself raced across the room to hide behind the shelf of certificates.

Rose peered through the gap in the visor. She had ended up inside the suit of armour pressed up against Neville. Ginny was outside of the armour but hidden out of sight.

"Where are they, my sweet?" came Argus Filch's voice. She heard the cat purr before trotting over to where Harry, Ron and Hermione were. Rose's heart beat sped up and she prayed that they wouldn't get caught.

Hermione watched as the cat came towards them. She watched as it sniffed, and then meowed to indicate that there was someone there. Harry froze beside her and nudged them both to indicate that as soon as the cat had turned away, they had to make a break for it. Hermione nodded and turned her attention back to the cat. Harry quickly filled Ginny in and she quietly whispered through the armour to tell Neville and Rose.

Mrs. Norris turned away so that she was facing a door on the opposite side of the door that the 6 had come in from. Harry nudged Ron and Hermione. "Now!" he hissed, both out loud and in his head. The six of them immediately jumped into action. They raced across the room towards the door they had come in from just as Filch entered the room.

"There they are, get them!" Filch roared. He hobbled towards them but Harry and Rose managed to distract him for enough time to let Neville, Ginny, Ron and Hermione run away. As the fastest runners of all of them, the Potter siblings managed to catch up to their friends. They ran for their lives and managed to shake off the cat who was pursuing them. They heard a door open and, to their horror, saw Snape emerge. Thankfully, he wasn't facing them. Hermione attempted to open the door but it didn't work. Rose whipped out her wand and muttered, "Alohomora!"

Neville raced in followed by Rose and Ginny. Harry, Ron and Hermione followed close behind. Harry turned after closing the door and froze. They had somehow ended up in the 3rd floor forbidden corridor. In front of them was a big 3 headed dog. It was roaring and at them all. The middle head tried to take a snap at Rose who shrieked and ran to hide behind her brother. Neville and Ginny followed suite, Neville behind Ron and Ginny behind Hermione.

"After three, open the door and run," Hermione murmured. The 2 girls were closest to the door. Ginny carefully reached behind her and opened the door. They began to edge away from the animal, all the while keeping an eye on the dog's heads.

10 minutes later, they found themselves in the Gryffindor Common Room gasping for breath. Neville and Rose decided to go to bed, leaving Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione alone at last.

"Can you believe Dumbledore? I mean, who would put a 3 headed dog in the middle of a deserted corr- of course, Hagrid!" Ron said, answering his own question.

"Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione asked irritably. "There was a massive trapdoor under it's foot, didn't you see it?" when everyone shook their heads, she rolled her eyes and stood up, heading up to her dorm with Ginny. Harry and Ron went up to their dormitory as well. Just as they climbed into bed, Harry turned to Ron. "I think we should visit Hagrid tomorrow." Ron nodded sleepily, and with that, they climbed into their beds.

The next day, Hermione was the first to rise. She carefully pulled back her curtains and showered and changed. She made sure that Rose, Ginny, Lavender and Parvati didn't wake up. Once down, she decided to take a book to read. She picked up her copy of Hogwarts: A history and headed downstairs into the deserted Common Room.

Hours later, she looked up and realised that it was nearly time for breakfast. She went up to the dormitory to wake up Ginny and Rose and after the girls had showered, they each went up to wake up their respective brothers. Neville also decided to come and sit with them.

"Hermione, Ginny, Rose, Harry had an idea, he said that we should go and visit Hagrid today," Ron said. Neville looked confused so Harry explained.

"Hagrid is an old friend of my parents. He was the gamekeeper when they were at school and he made friends with lots of the students. He was known for keeping dangerous animals and he also once told me that his ideal pet would be a dragon. That's why I thought of him, maybe he would know about the dog." Neville nodded, then appeared to look shy.

"Um, Harry, can I come as well, it's just that, I've heard a lot about my parents' time at Hogwarts and they were also friends with Hagrid, and I would like to meet him." Harry immediately nodded along with Rose and Ginny.

The six of them stood up and began to make their way down to Hagrid's hut. Harry knocked on the door and waited. He heard the bark of Fang and Hagrid opened the door. He looked down and beamed at Harry, Rose, Ron and Ginny.

"'Arry! Rose! I've bin waitin' for you to come! And who's this?" he asked, pointing at Neville and Hermione. Harry quickly introduced them and Hagrid beamed at them as well. "Any friend of these four is a friend of mine!" Hermione grinned. She had deduced that Hagrid was an easy going person.

"Um, Hagrid, we want to ask you something. It's to do with that big 3 headed dog in the corridor on the 3rd floor." Hagrid immediately started talking. "What were you doin' up there? Dumbledore said it's forbidden, and he's right!"

"Hagrid, we'll explain." With that, Rose started to tell the story. "Malfoy challenged Harry to a duel in the trophy room, and being my git brother, he accepted. The 4 of us decided to go with him. Outside of the Common Room, we met Neville who was under a leg-locker curse. Malfoy had out him under that. When Neville was about to go into the Common Room, we realised that the Fat Lady had gone. Harry had closed the Portrait hole so Neville had no choice but to come with us."

Ginny took over at this point. "When we got to the Trophy Room, we realised that Malfoy had tricked us. When we saw Filch's cat we knew we were in trouble. We quickly hid and Filch came. We decided to run away and almost got caught by him. We ended up in the 3rd floor corridor and were trapped by the dog. Hermione saw that it was standing on a trap door and Harry pointed out that only you could keep crazy pets like that 3 headed dog."

Hermione finished it off. "Harry then said that we should come and visit you as you might know about what's inside the trapdoor." Hagrid nodded. "Arry, you shouldn't 'ave accepted the duel, it's quite dangerous."

Ron then turned to ask him the million pound question. "So Hagrid, what's in the trapdoor?" Hagrid shook his head and pretended to pull a zip across his mouth. "That's not my secret to tell, it's between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel-"

"Ah! So there's a Nicolas Flamel in the mix!" Harry said triumphantly, grinning at Hagrid. "Shouldn't have said that, shouldn't have said that," he muttered and Rose took this as a cue to go.

"Thanks for your help Hagrid," Hermione said, smiling at Hagrid. He nodded and turned towards the dog to pat it. Harry gently stood up to make sure that Fang's head didn't snap back too quickly; he had put his head in Harry's lap at some point during the conversation.

Once back in the Gryffindor Common Room, they began to put their heads together. "So," Ginny started. "There's something going on between Professor Dumbledore and Nicolas Flamel and we need to work out what it is. Also, there's a connection between whatever's going on with Professor and his friend with whatever's inside the trapdoor. Agreed?" Everyone nodded in the affirmative. Over the next couple of days, they pondered over the trapdoor and its mystery. It was in Charms when they finally got their next clue.

While they were practising the light charm, there was a knock on the door. A fourth year stuck his head around the door. "Er, Professor Flitwick? Rose Potter is needed at the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey need her." The diminutive professor nodded. "Off you go then, Miss Potter." Rose gathered up her stuff and headed out of the room.

She began to make her way down the stairs towards the Hospital Wing. Normally they would have had their Charms lessons on the 3rd floor but that was the forbidden corridor so they were on the 5th floor using an empty classroom. While she was on the 4th floor, she heard raised voices from behind a door. Figuring that it was nothing important, she continued to walk ahead until she heard 'Nicolas.'

Rose stopped walking and quickly turned back around. "But Severus, if Nicolas Flamel's life is really in danger, then he and Perenelle would definitely come to Albus for help! Why would he otherwise give the Philosopher's stone?"

"But Minerva," she heard Snape's voice enter the mix, "Minerva, don't you see? The Philosopher's stone makes the _Elixir of Life_! The Dark Lord would do absolutely anything to get his hands on this! This is why Nicolas and Perenelle have given their only thread of life to Dumbledore so that he can protect it for them! If the Dark Lord gets his hands on it, who knows what disaster might strike!"

Minerva's voice retaliated sharply and Rose was surprised at the steel that was in the otherwise neutral sound. "But how, Severus, just tell me how You-Know-Who might get his hands on the stone. I know that Albus said that he isn't truly gone but still, tell me how!"

She heard their resident Potions Master give a deep sigh. "The Dark Lord has his ways, Minerva and none of them are free of Dark magic. He uses the Darkest Magic he can find, Magic that even I do not know of!"

She heard footsteps coming towards the door and hurried away, her mind spinning with what she had just heard. After she had finished with her business with Madam Pomfrey, she joined her friends for dinner. "Hey guys," she whispered. Neville was also sitting with them as he had decided to help them on their investigation. "I've got some news about Nicolas Flamel." 5 pairs of eager eyes turned to her but she shook her head. "Not now. After dinner." With that, she began to pile food on her plate, glad that the week was over.


	18. The first Quidditch match

** Chapter 18: The first Quidditch match**

Harry quickly ate his food, feeling excited about what was about to be revealed. According to his sister, it was almost everything they wanted to find out about this mystery. For the first time ever, Ron had finished his food quicker than Harry, even though the latter had tried to finish his food as quickly as possible. The boys waited for the girls to finish their food before the 6 of them headed upstairs. Once everyone was settled in their favourite armchairs by the fire, Rose began to tell them the story of what she had heard. She also thought that she had heard the name 'Nicolas Flamel' somewhere else, though she couldn't quite put her finger on it just yet.

Suddenly, Hermione jumped up. A smile was plastered across her face. "Hermione?" the girl in question just shook her head and hurried off to the Girls' dormitories' staircase. 2 minutes later, she flew down again, holding a large, thick book.

"What are you doing, Hermione?" asked Rose curiously.

"I borrowed this book for some light reading and-"

"_Light_ reading! Hermione, seriously, are you the only one in the whole school to read books as big as this?" Ron asked with a disgusted look on his face. Hermione rolled her eyes but continued what she was saying.

"So, anyway, I think that the information that we're looking for is in here." With that said, she opened the book and began to hunt through the contents page, leafing through the parchment until she found what she was looking for. She did this in under five minutes.

"I've got it!" she began to read out the passage in the book.

_"Nicholas Flamel is the only known maker of the Philosopher's Stone. The Philosopher's Stone is a legendary substance with astonishing powers. It'll transform any metal into pure gold and produces the Elixir of Life which will make the drinker immortal. The only Stone currently in existence belongs to Mr. Nicholas Flamel the noted alchemist who last year celebrated his 665th birthday."_

"So," Neville said thoughtfully, "this means that this stone is under the trapdoor! That's what Fluffy's guarding!"

Harry grinned at him. "That's good, but why does Voldemort want to get his hands on it?" He rolled his eyes when everyone except Rose shuddered at the use of the name. "Come on guys, get over it! Remember, fear of a name only increases fear of the thing itself!"

"But Harry, I've heard that if a person uses You-know-who's real name, bad things happen to them!"

"Ron, seriously, get real. Rose and I have been using it for years, has anything happened to us?"

"Well, there was one time when you tripped over something invisible, fell down the stairs, and broke your leg, and another time, Rose put glue on your-"

"Ok, ok, Ginny, I get the point," Harry said, louder than necessary and blushing.

"What happened there, Harry?" Hermione asked curiously.

Harry shook his head. "Nothing, Hermione, never mind. Anyway, back to the question at hand, why does Voldemort want the stone?"

Hermione glanced at him. "Harry, weren't you listening? The stone produces the Elixir of life, and that makes the drinker immortal!"

"Immortal?" Ron asked.

"Yes, immortal. It means-"

"I know what it means, Hermione!" Ron said heatedly.

It was a very excited group of children that went to bed that night.

The next morning was Saturday. It was also the day of the first Quidditch match, set to be against Slytherin. In all his excitement, Harry had forgotten about it, but now that he was at the Gryffindor table with the rest of the team, the nerves came, fully blown. He nervously glanced at the Slytherin table. The whole team was there and all were eating breakfast and chatting happily to one another. Harry swallowed. He couldn't bear the sight of food at this moment.

Ginny glanced at him. She attempted to sooth him through their link but he ignored her. She eventually managed to coax him into eating a piece of toast but even then, he had to force it down.

Wood called the entire team out to the locker room for a pep talk before the match. Harry groaned and stood up. He glanced at the ginormous clock situated behind the teacher's table and sighed. It was only a quarter to nine and the match didn't start until 10 o'clock. He followed Fred and George down to the Gryffindor locker room and took a seat in between Alicia Spinnet and Katie Bell. Oliver stood up and began to talk.

Half an hour later he was still talking. Angelina had fallen asleep and was resting her head on George's shoulder. Katie and Alicia were talking quietly and Fred was whispering to Harry about how he did this before EVERY Quidditch match.

Harry wasn't paying attention to anyone. He was talking to Ginny in his mind. Harry closed his eyes. Suddenly, he felt a pull and found himself sitting at the Gryffindor table with his friends. Everything was quite alright. Except that Harry wasn't Harry anymore. And his mind wasn't in his body. He had no idea how he managed to work that out or pull it off but he just knew that his mind was now in Ginny's body. To sum it up, he was looking at things from Ginny's viewpoint.

Fred watched as Harry closed his eyes. He closed his mouth and attempted to tune Wood out. God, could that boy talk. A fifth year captain, Wood was extremely passionate about this game. He was pulled out of his thoughts by a crash. He opened his eyes to see Harry sprawled on the floor. He immediately kneeled down to see if he was alright. The rest of the team followed suit.

Harry opened his eyes to find himself lying on the floor of the locker room with the rst of the team gathered around him. "Are you alright, Harry?" Angelina asked. Harry nodded.

Wood glanced at him worriedly. "Are you alright enough to play, Harry? Please say yes!"

"Wood!" five voices yelled simultaneously. "

"What?" he asked with a confused expression. Angelina turned to him. "Harry just passed out and you're asking him if he's alright to play? You stupid arsehole." Harry blushed and Angelina rolled her eyes.

Angelina turned to him and looked at him anxiously. Before she could say anything, Harry nodded vigorously. "I'm ready to play. Come on; let's give Slytherin a big kick up the backside!" Harry grinned as the rest of the team cheered.

Wood gestured to the team as he heard the tannoy announcing the teams to come to the door of the locker rooms that lead on to the pitch. They all headed to the door and gathered around, putting their hands together and crying out, "Go Gryffindor!" before mounting their brooms and heading out for the pitch.

Each team member did a lap around the pitch as the commentator, Lee Jordan, called out their names.

"For the first Quidditch game of the season, we have the legendary Gryffindor team!" Gryffindor, Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw cheered and screamed for the Gryffindor team whilst the Slytherins booed and hissed.

"We have spectacular Captain and Keeper Oliver Wood, followed by the 3 cute chasers-"

"Jordan!" yelled professor McGonagall.

"Sorry, Professor! Anyway, the chasers, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, and the second youngest member of the team, Katie Bell! The legendary Beaters, Fred and George Weasley and finally, the youngest and newest member, HARRY POTTER!"

The crowd went positively wild at this. The Slytherins were louder than ever, booing and hissing at this proclamation. Harry gulped as the Slytherin team came out of the locker room, glaring at the Gryffindor team and the crowd supporting them.

"Now, for the Slytherin team, we have captain..." one by one, he named the Slytherin Quidditch team and gave each one a vile name. McGonagall grinned at the names but still reprimanded Lee on his commentary. The Captains shook hands under the watchful eye of Madam Hooch. Then, the game began.

"And immediately, Gryffindor have possession of the Quaffle. Johnson passes to Bell, who passes back to Johnson! Spinnet weaves under the Slytherin Chasers, trying to get the Quaffle, and-oh, narrowly misses a Bludger aimed at her by a Slytherin beater! Weasley, I don't know which one, retaliates with a bludger of his own, it lands perfectly and Spinnet is now in possession of the Quaffle! She shoots, and Gryffindor scores!"

The crowd went screamed and cheered as Lee pressed a button, making Gryffindor in the lead. The game went by quickly, Gryffindor leading. Over an hour passed and Harry didn't spot the snitch. He hovered near the goalposts. So far, Wood had only let in 1 goal. Gryffindor were in the lead, 250-10. Finally, he spotted it. Unfortunately, so did Higgins. The 2 quickly raced over to the Snitch. It lead them in a follow the leader type way, weaving over and under other players.

All eyes were fixed on the 2 seekers. There was no game play. The Gryffindors took advantage of this and began making shot after shot. Lee counted the shots and added them on whilst still keeping an eye on the Seekers. Harry was slightly ahead as Higgins's Cleansweep 7 was no match for Harry's Nimbus 2000. Harry reached out for the snitch, but, to everyone's surprise, it suddenly weaved towards Harry. At the last second, it went underneath Harry and he immediately rolled over. He flew towards the ground and crashed. It looked as though he was being sick.

Ron, Hermione, Rose, Ginny, Neville, James and Lily Potter all ran on to the pitch. Harry leaned forwards and retched. The snitch fell out into his hands.

"And Gryffindor wins, 500-10!" the Gryffindors, Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaw cheered as the Slytherins booed. Malfoy glared at Harry as he walked off the pitch back to the Slytherin Common Room.

"Hi Mum, Dad, when did you get here?" Harry asked weakly before passing out. James quickly scooped him up as everyone gasped. He carried him all the way to the Hospital Wing and laid him down on the bed as everyone gathered around the bed. Madam Pomfrey came bustling up and began to examine him.

"What happened?"

"He almost swallowed the snitch but retched it out, then he passed out," Rose said promptly. James nodded. Rose turned around and realised that Ron, Hermione and Ginny weren't with them. The doors to the Hospital Wing opened to reveal an unconscious Ginny supported by Ron and Hermione. Rose and James hurried over to them.

"What happened, Hermione, Ron?" James asked anxiously. He took Ginny from them and laid her down on the bed next to Harry's. Everyone gathered around the 2 beds as Hermione began to talk.

"Well, Mr. Potter, we were walking to the Hospital Wing and we heard a gasp. Ron turned around and saw Ginny having trouble breathing. We both walked towards her and she just passed out completely. Ron managed to save her before she hit the ground and I went to help him. We had to carry her up all the way here. She might be very light but it's quite hard carrying a person up 2 floors," Hermione finished, clutching her aching arms.

"Carrying who up here?" 2 people's voices came at once. James whirled around to see Madam Pomfrey and Harry.

"Harry!" Ron, Hermione and Rose yelled. They hurried towards him and gathered him up in a great big hug. When they pulled back, Lily and James stepped forwards to engulf their son in their arms. Madam Pomfrey examined Ginny. When she had finished, she went back into her office and slammed the door shut. When she had finished, everyone began talking at once.

"What's all this noise about?" Ginny mumbled.

"Ginny!" everyone apart from Harry went over to strangle Ginny as well. Harry gave Ginny a shy wave. She grinned.

"So, Mum, Dad, when did you get here?"

Lily smiled at her son. "When you were about to begin. What happened up there?"

Harry recalled the moment that his mother was talking about.

_Harry flew high above the clouds, scanning the skies for the snitch. He felt a jerk on his new Nimbus 2000. He ignored it, thinking that it was just the wind. He felt it again, but this time it was much stronger. Suddenly, he found himself hanging down on the broom, clutching on to for dear life. _

_Lily Potter watched as her son flipped over rapidly. She gasped. James scanned the crowd to see what was happening. He spotted Snape and watched him for a few moments. He was muttering and wasn't blinking at all. James nudged Lily and watched as her eyes darkened. She pointed her wand at the teachers' stand and shot a stunner at Snape. They were sitting right at the top of the Gryffindor stand so they went unnoticed by anyone. _

_The stunner shot through the teachers like a bullet. Many of the teachers managed to avoid it but Quirrell just wasn't quick enough. He was thrown to the ground. As Snape's back was to the Gryffindor stand, he didn't notice the stunner. Snape also fell to the ground. _

_Harry scrambled back onto his broom, confused. He quickly looked around for the snitch and saw it hovering the goalposts. He zoomed towards it and the action begun._

"Oh, I lost control of the broom but somehow I managed to get on again." Harry looked quite confused as Lily and James shared knowing looks.

"What? What is it?"

"Lils spotted Snape staring at you without blinking. She realised that he was the one who was muttering the curse so she shot a stunner at him," James said proudly. Lily blushed.

"Mr. Potter, Miss Weasley, you are free to go," Madam Pomfrey said.

"Oh, and Lily, how far along are you?"

Lily grinned and rubbed her swollen belly. "I'm 7 months along, Poppy, due in January. Oh, and it's a girl." James put his arm around his wife as Harry and Rose beamed. They would be having a little sister! The couple stood up and hugged their children. They left the hospital wing after telling Ginny, Harry and Rose that they would be back later on with Arthur and Molly.

As if on cue, the doors opened to reveal Molly and Bill. "Ginny!" Molly shrieked, enveloping her daughter in her arms. Bill followed, grinning. He put a hand on Molly's arm.

"Mum, you're stopping her breathing." Molly pulled away from her daughter, smiling. Bill pulled his sister into his arms.

"Hey, firefly," Bill whispered. Ginny smiled and wriggled out of his hold on her.

Over the next two hours, the 5 children told Molly what had happened in the Quidditch Match and the events that followed. They had only told Molly about the first bit of the Quidditch Match when Neville came in. He joined them as they told Molly and Bill about the day and added some bits in as well.

After they had finished, Madam Pomfrey told them that they could leave. Harry immediately leaped out of the bed and began to get changed. All in all, it was a good day.

**A/N: Hey guys, I was really busy for the past couple of weeks but here's a little chapter, short and sweet...**

**Anyway, please review this. I will not, repeat, WILL NOT update until I have at least 20 reviews. Actually, that's a little harsh, let's cut it down to 15. See you soon! **


	19. Who is it?

**Chapter 19: Who is it? **

The next morning, Harry woke up with a blissful smile on his face. He had had a wonderful day yesterday and was still slightly hyper from the party that had been on. He had consumed so much Butterbeer yesterday that he had felt as though he was drunk. He didn't know whether someone could get drunk on Butterbeer but decided that they couldn't. He rolled out of bed and put on his glasses to find that he dormitory was empty. For the first time ever, he had out slept Ron Weasley. He grinned and went to have a shower.

Half an hour later, he headed down to the Common Room to find Neville and Hermione sitting at a table, bent over a book, Rose and Ginny chatting and Ron slowly working his way through a stack of toast which was on the table. Ginny was the first one to notice him. "Hey Harry," she greeted. He smiled in reply. "Hey guys, what's going on?"

"'Er my knee's huoring Eville in Pothuns, Roth is alking oo Inny and I'm eaing toatht," Ron said through a mouthful of toast.

"Ronald Weasley, don't talk with your mouth full!" Hermione and Rose exclaimed together. Ginny gave him a slap in the back of the head.

"Hey!" he protested indignantly. Harry laughed at his best mate and Ron turned to him.

"Thanks Harry! You could be the one in this position and I wouldn't be laughing!" Ron snapped.

"Actually mate, knowing you, you would be laughing!" Harry replied, though he forced down the laughter that was threatening to come up. Ron glared at Harry and this time, Harry did laugh. He grabbed a piece of toast and sat down next to Ron at the table.

Later that day, Harry, Ron and Hermione were walking down the corridor to the library. They were working on a new part of the mystery; working out who it was. As they were walking, they heard raised voices. Ginny and Rose had gone off somewhere and Neville was with Seamus and Dean. Ron ducked into the library with Hermione and Harry.

"I don't know why you wanted to meet here of all places, Severus," came Professor Quirrell's voice. Harry glanced at the others. What were they talking about?

"Oh, I thought I'd keep this private. After all, students aren't supposed to know about the Philosopher's stone. I'd dread to think of the consequences if they did." From where she was standing, Hermione could see Snape's lip curl up. She shuddered.

"Have you found out a way to get past that beast of Hagrid's yet?"

"B-but, Severus, I-"

"You don't want me as your enemy, Quirrell," Snape growled menacingly.

"I d-don't know wh-what you-"

"You know perfectly well what I mean," Snape hissed. "Use your little bit of 'Hocus Pocus' as they say." He glared at Quirrell. "You'd better find me a way of getting that Stone. You have no idea-NO idea- what would happen if someone else got their hands on it. We'll have another little chat soon, once you've thought about where your loyalties lie." With that, Snape turned on his heel and stalked off towards the dungeons. Quirrell quickly straightened his turban and hurried away.

Harry glanced at Ron and Hermione who were both as equally shocked as himself. "We need to tell the others," Harry managed. Ron and Hermione nodded.

_'Ginny? Get Rose and the 2 of you find Neville. We'll meet you in the Common room in 15 minutes,' _Harry sent to Ginny.

_'Ok,' _came the reply.

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione. "I've sent a message to Ginny and we'll meet them in the Common Room in 15 minutes. Let's go back." They headed off towards the Common Room to wait for the others. However, when they were on the 6th floor, they heard Dumbledore and McGonagall talking in raised voices. Hermione, thinking quickly, pulled Harry and Ron into an alcove. Harry also took the opportunity to update Ginny.

_'Ginny? Change of plans. Meet us in 20 minutes but bring that book in Hermione's trunk that told us about Nicholas Flamel.' _There was no reply but Harry knew that Ginny had got the message.

"Albus, I'm telling you, there is something up with Quirrell," they heard. "I'm not going to tell you again, please do something!"

"But Minerva, there's nothing I can do! I don't know what he has done to make you suspicious of his actions!" Dumbledore said.

"Well, you know what? I think he's trying to steal the Philosopher's stone!" Dumbledore gasped. Ignoring him, McGonagall pressed on, "I saw him hanging around the 3rd floor corridor. He was muttering to himself and when he saw me, he ran away! He has done this a couple of times already!"

Dumbledore sighed. "Minerva, for the last time, I will not-repeat, will NOT- do anything about this! There are numerous protections around the stone that have been made by me, you, Severus and Quirinus! I do not believe that he would try to steal it, he has made a protection for it!"

With that, Dumbledore gave McGonagall such a piercing stare that she huffed and walked off. Dumbledore turned towards the alcove where the trio were hiding. "Mr Potter, Mr Weasley and Miss Granger, you may come out."

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other. How did Dumbledore know they were there? "Er," Hermione began, but Dumbledore put up a hand to stop her.

"Do not worry, Miss Granger, you are not in any trouble." Hermione breathed a sigh of relief. "However, I must ask of you this. Whatever you have heard just then, you must keep a secret. No one is to know about this, otherwise there could be severe consequences. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Professor," they answered. Dumbledore smiled. "I believe that you have friends awaiting your return? In that case, you may share this information with them, but make sure that it does not leak out to anyone, agreed?"

They nodded again. Dumbledore smiled again and they hurried off back to the Common Room to discuss their findings with their friends.

**(Ginny's POV-20 mins earlier)**

Ginny and Rose laughed and shook their heads as Hagrid offered them a rock cake. They had spent a few hours down at his house and now, as Rose looked at her watch, they decided to head back to the castle before dinner. They had managed to get all their homework done beforehand and now they were enjoying the rest of their weekend. As they were walking past the greenhouses, Ginny stopped. Rose turned around to see what was happening but Ginny was already walking towards her.

"Harry says to find Neville and to meet them in the Common Room in 15 minutes." Rose only nodded and they set off to find their other friend. They spent 10 minutes searching for Neville and found him on his way to the Common Room when another message came in from Harry. "Harry also says to bring the book from Hermione's trunk and apparently, there's been a change of plans," Ginny replayed to Rose and Neville, looking slightly confused at the last part. They headed to the Common Room to see what Harry, Ron and Hermione were about to tell them.


	20. St Mungo's

**Chapter 20: St. Mungo's. **

As Rose, Ginny and Neville waited for the trio, Rose realised that Neville was covered in dirt. "Neville, why are you covered in dirt? Where have you been for the past four hours?" Neville grinned at the girls.

"I was helping Professor Sprout tend to the plants in Greenhouse One and Greenhouse Two." Just as Ginny was about to respond, the portrait hole opened and Harry, Ron and Hermione entered.

"Just in time," Ron commented as he closed the Portrait. Hermione rolled her eyes and sat down in between Rose and Ginny on the sofa. Harry and Ron also took a seat, Harry next to Rose and Ron in an armchair besides Neville.

"Well, guess what we overheard," Harry began and they began to tell the story. After they were finished, Ginny deduced, "That means that it is either Quirrell or Snape trying to steal the stone."

Hermione nodded. "But that means that we have to keep an eye on both of them." Ron nodded in agreement. Ginny held up the book and said, "What do we need this for if we have got two possible suspects?"

Harry shook his head. "I guess we don't need this, I thought that we might. Better to play safe, eh?" Ginny glared at him and threw the book at his head. He managed to duck just in time, laughing.

Before anything else violent could happen, Neville said, "Let's go down to dinner. I don't know about you lot but I'm hungry!" They stood up and headed to the Great Hall.

Lily and James cuddled against each other on the bed. Lily was eight and a half months pregnant and she was feeling really fat. James had decided to distract her, and after a wonderful evening, they were now cuddled against each other. It was November the 24th, the last Sunday of the month. Lily was quite relaxed. Little did she know about what was going to happen in the next few hours of her life.

Harry jerked awake and almost screamed as he saw Professor McGonagall standing over him. He quickly sat up. "Hello Professor. What happened? Is there anything wrong?"

Professor McGonagall smiled. "As to what happened, you and your sister will find out shortly. As to your other question, there is nothing wrong. Put something on and come on down to the Common Room. Be quick, your sister is already waiting for you." Harry opened his mouth to speak but McGonagall already knew what he was going to ask and was already heading over to wake Ron and Neville up. Harry quickly dressed, put on his glasses and headed downstairs with his rucksack.

"Rose, do you know what's happening?" Rose grinned at him. "I have a feeling but I don't want to spoil the surprise." Just then, Ginny and Hermione came downstairs, also dressed. Harry turned to the other girls as Ron and Neville came to join them. "Hermione, Ginny, do you know what's going on?"

"Noooooo, Harry, I really don't know what's happening!" Ginny said sarcastically. Harry rolled his eyes. "Tell me... Pretty please?" Hermione shook her head. "Never, you'll just have to wait it out." Professor McGonagall entered the Common Room to see all six of them ready and waiting. She beckoned them over and said, "You might think that there is only one surprise waiting, but actually there is two!"

Neville looked at his friends. Two surprises? He turned his attention back to McGonagall just in time to hear her say, "...as well as your mother, Miss Granger." Hermione looked shocked. "M-my mum? But how...when?" she trailed off, looking a little dazed.

The professor smiled. "All of you will be travelling to St. Mungo's in just a couple of seconds. She held up a battered old newspaper and tapped it, muttering, "Portus." The newspaper glowed blue for a second as everyone apart from Hermione groaned. "What's wrong? What happened?" Hermione asked looking from one to another.

Harry and Neville spoke at the same time. "We're travelling by Portkey. Ever heard of it?" Hermione nodded. "But why are you all looking so unhappy? Especially you two, Rose and Ginny, we know what's going to happen very soon."

Rose shook her head. "We absolutely _hate_ travelling by Portkey." At Hermione's look, she added, "You'll find out after you've made a trip." Professor McGonagall cleared her throat and the six of them put a hand on it. McGonagall wished them luck before exiting the Common Room, leaving them standing there.

"When are we goi-agh!" The rest of Hermione question was cut off as they all felt a jerk just above their navel. They found themselves flying through the air. A loud crash was heard as they fell into a pile on the floor of the corridor of the maternity ward. Harry, Rose and Ron groaned as Neville, Ginny and Hermione fell on top of them. Neville immediately rolled off Rose and helped her up. She felt her cheeks go pink. The 2 of them helped the others up and they began to walk up the narrow corridor. After asking a passing healer where Lily Potter and Jean Granger were staying, they were bombarded with questions. Just then, Harry and Rose saw a face they had not seen in almost 2 years.

"Sirius!"

The man in question turned just in time to see his godson and his godson's sister running towards them. He opened his arms and they gave him a massive hug that almost knocked him over. He grinned as they moved away from him. "Where have you been for the last 2 years of my life?" Harry asked, grinning. "The Auror department shifted me to work abroad, now I decided I needed to be closer to my family so I came back. Then I found out that Prongs is now Minister and Lily-bean is having a baby!"

Harry turned his head and beckoned their friends over to them. "Hey Sirius," Ron and Ginny greeted simultaneously. Sirius waved at them. "Sirius, this is Hermione and Neville. Neville, Hermione, this is my Godfather and honorary uncle, Sirius."

Sirius studied Neville's face closely for a moment. "You're Frank and Alice Longbottom's son, aren't you? Yes, I knew your parents. Great people, they were. I believe you and your brother are staying with your grandmother?" Neville nodded. "Great woman, Augusta. Quite scary as well, I imagine." Neville grinned and Sirius turned to Hermione.

"I don't believe I know you, Miss..."

"Granger," Hermione supplied. "Are you, by any chance, Sirius Black, the head of the Ancient and Most Noble house of Black?" Sirius laughed. "Someone's been doing their research."

"Enough of that, Sirius. Do you know where Mum is staying?" Harry asked. Sirius nodded. "Yes, but unfortunately, we can't go in." Harry groaned. "The only thing we can do is wait." They sighed and the six of them sat down. Suddenly, Hermione stood up. "Wait! What about my mum? Professor McGonagall said that she was in St. Mungo's as well even though she's a muggle!" Sirius stood up to calm her down.

"Hermione, wait, I'll go and check for you." He led Hermione to the little office that was located on the side. He knocked on the door and it opened to reveal a healer. "Hello," said that Healer a little uncertainly.

"Hello," Sirius said. "I was wondering if you know where Mrs..." he looked at Hermione.

"Jean Granger," she supplied. "Ah yes," Sirius said, turning back to the Healer. "Do you know where Mrs. Jean Granger is staying?" The Healer nodded. "She is staying in the same room as Mrs. Potter. Do you know where Mrs. Potter is staying?" Sirius nodded. "Yes. Thank you for your help." The Healer closed the door and Sirius and Hermione headed back to the others.

"Hermione, where is-?"

"Same room as your mum, Rose," Hermione replied, taking a seat next to Ron. She sighed. Now all they could do was wait.

**A/N: Hello everyone! I am nearly in my Summer holidays, just one more week of torture to go through before I'm free! Thank you to all of those who have reviewed my story, in particular, Th3-Dragon-Lord who reviewed every chapter! I have a little request though... I'm in need of a beta, I haven't got one at all. If you are interested, PM me and leave your email so I can do that. Thank you and sorry for the short chapter! **


	21. Potter family surprise

**Chapter 21: Potter family surprise**

It was now five o'clock in the morning. The seven of them had been waiting for roughly four hours. Harry and Rose were leaning on Sirius, asleep. Ginny's head was in Ron's lap. Ron had his head rested on Hermione's shoulder, who was sleeping on Rose. Neville was half on the floor, snoring softly. The squeak of a door opening jerked them all awake. Neville slid onto the floor and banged his head. Harry sat up immediately and fixed his crooked glasses. He could just make out a shape... James!

"Hi, Dad!" Harry said excitedly. Rose groaned and rubbed her eyes. James grinned broadly. He was holding a little bundle in his arms, wrapped in a pink blanket. Harry and Rose jumped up to see their sister. She already was the spitting image of Lily. As everyone crowded around, the newest addition to the Potter family stirred. She yawned and opened her eyes. They were blue-green, almost the same shade as Harry's and Lily's.

"What's her name, Dad?" Rose asked, now fully awake. "Victoria Ginevra," he said proudly. Ginny blushed. Harry grinned and gently put a finger near her hand. She reached up and clasped it in her fist.

"Tory," Hermione whispered. James smiled. The door opened and Mr. Granger walked out. Hermione turned around. "Dad!" she hurried towards him. Mr. Granger held out his arm for a hug and Hermione hurried into them. She pulled back, grinning.

"Dad, has Mum had her baby yet?" Mr. Granger smiled and nodded. "You have a baby brother, Hermione. Oliver Richard Granger." He lifted up his arms to show Hermione a beautiful baby boy. She smiled and held out her arms. Mr. Granger gently slipped Oliver into Hermione's arms and she cooed at him. He snuggled towards her and she felt tears coming to her eyes. Suddenly, everyone heard a shrill scream coming from the direction of the room where Mrs. Potter and Mrs. Granger were staying. "Lily!" James yelled. He thrust Tory at Rose who quickly arranged her arms so that she would be able to support the child. He ran off towards the direction of the sound.

**(Lily's POV-30 mins ago)**

"Push, Lady Potter!" the midwife said. "Just one more!" Lily pushed as hard as she could and suddenly she felt something leave her. But something wasn't right. She smiled as the midwife put a bundle into her arms but there was something weird. She hadn't felt this way after she had delivered Harry and Rose, so why was there something different now? James smiled. "What should her middle name be?"

The two of them had decided on a name months before the birth of their daughter: Victoria. "Ginevra," Lily said firmly. "She deserves it. After all, she is our daughter-in-law." James smiled. "When are you going to tell them? They deserve to know." Lily shifted to make herself comfortable.

"Not for a couple of years yet. They're a little too young to know but, if it really is necessary, they should know. As much as I don't want to keep it a secret, I don't want to hurt them." James held out his arms and Lily smiled. She put her daughter into her father's arms and he stood up.

"Go and show Harry and Rose their sister." James gave Lily a kiss and headed out. Lily smiled and made herself comfortable. She closed her eyes and sank back into the pillows. She felt a stabbing pain in her abdomen but ignored it. She figured her stomach would be sore. Just as she was drifting off to sleep, she felt another sharp pain, much, much stronger than the previous one. She sat up, clutching her stomach.

"Healer Smith? Healer Smith! Help!" Lily yelled. She felt something trying to push out of her and she let out a sharp, shrill scream. A moment later, James and Healer Smith rushed in. "Lil! What's wrong?"

"I don't KNOW!" Lily yelled, shrieking the last word as she felt the pain. "Ah, Lady Potter, I believe that you are having twins."

"Twins?!" Both James and Lily repeated, shocked. Lily grunted as another sharp wave of pain washed over her. The Healer turned to James. "Lord Potter, you might want to hold Lady Potter's hand, this will be quite...painful, to put it bluntly." The Healer turned back to Lily as James held out his hand, grimacing. He was an Auror before he became Minister of Magic, but nothing he had ever experienced had ever been as quite painful as Lily squeezing his hand. He heard a crack and felt pain in his hand.

Lily flopped back in her bed, completely exhausted. The Healer was cleaning up another bundle. She waved her wand and a blue blanket covered up the bundle. She turned back to the couple. "Congratulations, Lord and Lady Potter, you also have a son." Healer Smith smiled as she left the couple. The Potters immediately started to think about various things. James decided to bring up the subject of his hand.

"Uh, Lily, you broke my hand." This immediately started a torrent of scolding. "James Harold Potter! I have just given birth to twins, that I should remind you are YOUR children, and you are complaining about a bloody broken hand! You know what? I should make you push a bloody watermelon out of your arse, but you know what? That won't even come CLOSE to the pain that I have felt! Don't you dare complain to me about a broken hand!"

James winced and rubbed his ears. He waved his wand with his left hand and clumsily managed to fix his hand. He could hear the sound of laughter from nearby and stood up to see the source. He decided to take his son, Daniel Ron Potter, to see the rest of the children. He glanced at the time, yawning as he did so. It was past six in the morning and everyone needed a goodnight's rest.

He cuddled his son next to him and walked out of the room. Lily watched him go with a sigh. James gasped at the sight of everyone. Everyone save Ginny (she was holding Tory) and Hermione (who was holding Oliver) was rolling about on the floor laughing. Molly and Arthur Weasley, who had joined them at some point during the night, were hulking on the side. People walking about gave them strange looks but no one took notice. James cleared his throat, and with some difficulty, everyone sat up. Harry held his arms out and Ginny placed Tory into them. He turned to look at his father.

"Uh, hi, dad," Harry said uncertainly. James smiled and Harry gasped, almost dropping Tory. James held out a blue bundle. Rose jumped up excitedly. "Dad! Mum had twins!" Harry laughed and Ginny grinned. Sirius went up to James and gave him a mischievous smirk. "Way to go, Prongs! You knocked up Lily times two!"

James glared at Sirius. "Shut up, Padfoot." Sirius winked at the kids who were all laughing. "So, Prongs, what's his name, then?" James smiled fondly at his son. "Daniel Ron Potter." Ron's ears turned red.

"We thought of making it Ronald, but you know, too formal." James winked at Ron who was now the picture of a full blown Weasley blush. He gently slipped Daniel into Rose's arms and the two older Potters moved closer to each other.

"Now, Dan, say hello to Tory, your twin sister," Rose said. Dan's hazel eyes blinked at Tory. He cooed and everyone laughed. Hermione adjusted Oliver on her shoulder and moved closer to Tory and Dan. Everyone smiled at the three who were now standing in the middle of the waiting room. The door opened and Mr. Granger walked out.

"Hermione, your mother wants to feed Ollie so can I have him back please?" Hermione nodded and reluctantly handed over Ollie after placing a kiss on his forehead. James nodded in agreement with Mr. Granger and Harry and Rose gave their siblings back to James. With a little difficulty, James adjusted the twins and moved towards the door leading towards the room. Mr. Granger followed him and the two separated after walking down the corridor.

After the twins had been fed, James headed out. "Healer Smith says that you lot can visit, but no more than three at a time. Padfoot, Prongslet, Princess, come with me." Harry, Rose and Sirius stood up and went into the room.

Lily was sitting up in bed, looking exhausted but smiling. "Hey Mum!" Harry and Rose both moved forward to give her a kiss on the cheek. Sirius grinned at her. "Sirius Black! Where have you been for the last two years of our lives?" Sirius winked and explained the same thing he had to the kids. Lily smiled and they began to talk to each other. Soon, they left and James called in the next three people. Molly and Arthur were also there and they soon joined them.

At eight o'clock, Sirius and Arthur escorted the kids back to Hogwarts where they were given the day of lessons. Everyone collapsed into bed and fell asleep as soon as their heads touched the pillow. Harry, Hermione and Rose all dreamt about their new siblings. Harry dreamt that he was training Dan to be the new seeker in Hogwarts as he knew that he would be at least 22 when the twins would start Hogwarts. Rose dreamt that she and Tory would talk about everything under the sun and the two would be best friends, though Ginny would still remain her best friend in the whole wide world.

Hermione, on the other hand, dreamt that Ollie would be really smart and would be one of the smartest people to ever walk in the halls of Hogwarts, after Lily Potter, Hermione Granger and Albus Dumbledore, of course. Everyone enjoyed the surprise that they received, most of all, the Potters.

**A/N: Well, did you like the chapter? I did think of a different name for Tory, it would've been Hazel Ginevra, Hazy for short, but it didn't seem right once I said I out loud. Thank you for reading this story. I will try and update soon! Oh, and sorry for the awkward ending, I couldn't think of how to finish it. **


	22. Dragons and Secrets

**Chapter 22: Dragons and Secrets**

Later on that day, the Potters and Hermione had permission to go and see their family again before dinner. After a late lunch, the three headed towards Professor McGonagall's office to take the floo to St. Mungo's. After they reached the correct ward, Harry and Rose split off from Hermione. Hermione's mother had been moved to another room to make space for newcomers that afternoon.

"Hey mum! Hi Tory, Dan!" Harry and Rose greeted their family enthusiastically. Lily carefully stood up and Harry and Rose gave her a hug. Rose helped her mother to sit down. Just then, the door opened and James came in with 2 Styrofoam cups filled with coffee. James set them down on the bedside table and hugged his son and daughter.

"Hey kiddo!"

The four older Potters started to chat. Harry picked up Tory and Rose held Dan. The twins were both sleeping. They looked really peaceful sleeping and Harry grinned as he looked down at his new sister. He mentally sent Ginny an image of Rose holding Dan and then another image of him and Tory. He heard Ginny coo in his mind. He hid a smile and turned back to his conversation with Lily.

Harry decided to ask his mother a question. "Mum, who chose Dan's middle name?" Lily grinned. "I did. Daniel Ronald sounds really nice together, don't you think?" Harry looked at her, confused.

"Ronald? I thought it was Ron. Dad said that you said that Ronald was too formal," Harry said inquisitively. Lily looked at James who pointedly looked away, whistling randomly.

"James Harold Potter!"

Hermione hurried down the hallway to see her mother. She scanned the room numbers as she passed and grinned when she found the last room in the corridor. Room number 14. She stepped inside and sneaked towards her father's turned back. She saw her mother glance at her and she put a finger to her lip. Jean Granger winked and Hermione slipped her arms around Richard Granger.

Unfortunately for Hermione, he didn't even flinch. "Nice try, Hermione, but you need to work on your creeping around skills." Richard turned around and gave his daughter a hug. Hermione immediately went over to Oliver's crib and lifted him up. She then turned back to her mother and sat down on the chair beside the bed.

"Now mum, can you tell me why you didn't tell me you were pregnant?" Hermione asked, looking down at Oliver. He had greyish blue eyes that had a tinge of brown and soft tawny coloured hair. Hermione looked up at her mother who looked slightly uncomfortable, though Hermione knew that it wasn't from giving birth to her baby brother.

"Well, at first, I didn't know that I was pregnant until I was around five months along. I hadn't put on much weight so it wasn't a really big deal. When I found out, it took me about two weeks just to tell your father. I wasn't sure how he was going to react even though he was ecstatic when I told him I was with you. Then, I wasn't sure how to tell you. Plus, you were going to start school in just over a month and I didn't want you worrying about me whilst you were concentrating on your school work."

Hermione knew her mother had another reason but she just nodded silently. Her father looked at her and began to talk to her about various things. Hermione nodded and occasionally gave an answer but mostly, she was distracted by her brother. She also knew another reason why her mother didn't tell her.

A couple of years ago, back when Hermione was seven, her mother had told her she was pregnant. Hermione had become so excited and was really happy. Then, her mother had had a miscarriage and Hermione was really upset as she had really wanted this baby. She had always wanted a little sibling and now, she finally had one.

"Hermione? Hermione! Hello! Mum wants to feed Ollie before he starts to cry so we should go outside. Say bye to Mum and Ollie now, I believe you're going to go soon." Hermione stood up and handed her brother to her mother. She gave them both a kiss and headed out of the door. Harry and Rose were already waiting.

"Oh, Dad, I forgot to ask you, how did you bring Mum here? This is a wizarding hospital, not a muggle one."

Richard nodded. "A couple of weeks ago, Jean was making breakfast and she put the toast in the toaster. Suddenly the toaster started to jump about and plastic chickens just flew out of the toaster. So then, there were some pops and I went to the living room and saw about six people standing there. They just barged past me and went to the kitchen except a red headed man who shook my hand and who I now know as Arthur Weasley."

"Ah, Mr Weasley!" Hermione said. "He's two of my best friends' dad!"

"Yes, Hermione, he did say that I looked like someone he knew. So anyway, we headed into the kitchen where he saw a picture of you and said, 'Are you Hermione Granger's father?' So I said yes and then he shouted to the others, 'Stop! This is the mother and father of my son and daughter's best friend. They might be muggles but they're ok!'

"So then, he sends the entire team back from wherever they came from and he pointed his wand at the toaster and it stopped. He told me that our toaster had been swapped with a cursed toaster. He waved his wand and made another one for us and took away the cursed one. Ever since, he has been seeing us regularly and he happened to be here when your mother was about to have her baby. He then took us to St. Mungo's, cast a spell on Jean and I and we walked through a sheet of glass, and well, here we are!" he concluded. Hermione grinned, hugged her father and headed over to where Harry and Rose were sitting.

"Is it time to go?" Rose nodded and the three of them went over to the fireplace. One by one, they flooed back to Hogwarts and after brushing off the soot from their clothes, they went to the Great Hall to have dinner. They found their friends sitting at the Gryffindor table. They joined them and told them what they did in between bites of roast chicken, mashed potatoes and treacle tart.

The next day, early at breakfast, two owls headed towards Harry and Hermione. Hedwig nuzzled her beak against Harry's hand as he fed her a piece of bacon. He ripped open the letter and scanned it quickly.

_To Harry_

_Can you come down to the hut after class today? I've got a little something to show you. Oh, and you can bring your friends with you, I notice you rarely do anything without them._

_Hagrid_

Harry looked up at the Teacher's table and saw Hagrid wink at him; he grinned in reply and turned back to his breakfast. Ginny, who had been reading over Harry's shoulder, whispered to Ron, Hermione and Neville what was in the letter.

After breakfast, they had Charms so they headed upstairs to the fifth floor, to the old classroom they were using instead of the third floor. Harry and Ginny sat together as well as Ron and Hermione. Neville sat behind them with Dean. Seamus was in the Hospital Wing from when his wand had blown up his potion the previous day.

Charms was one of Harry's favourite lessons but today, he couldn't concentrate. He kept thinking about what Hagrid wanted to show them. He vaguely remembered Hagrid telling James and Lily that he really wanted a pet dragon, but...no. He wouldn't. Would he? Harry shook his head and concentrated on the tickling charm they were supposed to be practicing. He pointed his wand at Neville and said clearly, "Rictusempra!"

Before Neville had a chance to react, he was on the floor, laughing. A few Slytherins laughed at them but Harry ignored them. He remembered a charm that he had heard his parents use regularly in the house. He knew that it was used to stop most curses, hexes and charms.

"Finite Incantatem!"

Neville lay on the floor, gasping for breath. He stood up and pointed his wand at Harry. Harry braced himself and closed his eyes. He concentrated on the spell, hoping that Neville would miss and it wouldn't hit him. "Please, please don't hit me..." Harry muttered under his breath.

"Rictusempra!"

There was a thud and Harry opened his eyes. Neville was lying on the floor, looking confused. "What's wrong, Longbottom? Trip over your own feet?"

Harry glared at Malfoy. "Shut up Malfoy. You're the one who needs two bodyguards to protect you from simple hexes." Malfoy flushed furiously.

"You'll pay for that one, Potter." He turned away as Neville looked up at Harry. Harry held out a hand to his friend and he gratefully took it. Harry looked at Ginny. _'We need to talk.'_

Ginny nodded discreetly but didn't say anything. After the end of the double period, Ginny and Harry separated from their friends who went on to the Great Hall.

"What's wrong, Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry looked around to make sure no one was listening and told Ginny what happened to Neville. Ginny looked thoughtful. "So, maybe it was a side effect of the bond?"

Harry shrugged and then smiled as an idea came to him. "Wait, Dumbledore knows about the bond, right? Maybe we should go and talk to him after lunch. I'm sure Professor Binns wouldn't mind us being a little late." Ginny nodded and the two of them headed to the Great Hall.

After they had eaten, Harry made his way up to Professor Dumbledore. "Sir," he whispered. Dumbledore looked up calmly. "Yes, Mr. Potter?"

"Sir, we need to talk to you, can we see you after lunch?" Dumbledore nodded, knowing who Harry was referring to as, 'we.'

"The password is Cherry drops." Dumbledore smiled at Harry who nodded politely in thanks. He made his way back to his friends, ignoring the eyes of the students who were all watching him intently. He picked up his bag and went out of the Great Hall followed by Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Rose and Neville opted to stay behind as they wanted to see Hagrid before History of Magic.

Harry headed to the third floor and went to the Library. He opened the door and headed to a secluded corner of the room. The other three followed him and sat down. They began to talk quietly to each other.

"Harry, why do you want to talk to Professor Dumbledore?" Hermione asked. Harry glanced at Ginny and the two of them explained what had happened to Neville in class. "Oh," Hermione said. She looked around and began to explain some things to them.

Hermione looked at her Harry. "Ever since the second day of term, Rose and I have been researching things about the," she lowered her voice, "bond. One of the things we found out was the defence mechanism. If anyone tries to attack you or Ginny, they would get thrown back, knocked out or seriously injured. I think it also works with verbal attacks as well as physical and mental." Harry and Ginny looked relieved and shocked at the same time. Ron grinned at them.

"So that means that if Malfoy tries to attack Harry or Gin, it'll knock him out? Cool!" Ron exclaimed. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Yes Ron, it does mean that. Harry, go to Dumbledore just in case what I said was wrong." Harry nodded and Hermione stood up. "See you in History of Magic." Ron stood up and followed Hermione to their next class.

"See you later, mate."

Ginny and Harry stood up and walked down the corridor to the gargoyle. "Cherry drops." The gargoyle did not budge. Harry tried again. It didn't move. Ginny tried this time. "Cherry drops." Harry sighed. "Cherry drops!" the two of them said together. To their surprise, it opened for them.

"I think it wanted us both to say the password," Ginny commented as they stepped onto the moving stairs.

"No, I was just playing a game with you," a voice came out of thin air. Harry jumped and Ginny snickered. He scowled, stepped off the platform and lifted up his hand to knock on the door.

"Come in, Mr Potter, Miss Weasley," Dumbledore said politely. Harry and Ginny exchanged looks and Harry pushed open the door to the Headmaster's office.

"How may I help you?" he asked and Ginny began to explain what happened with help from Harry. They also explained what Hermione told them and Dumbledore nodded. "Miss Granger is a very bright witch indeed. The brightest of her age, I must say. I must also add, I agree with her theory. There is, however, one thing that I would like to tell you."

Dumbledore sighed. 'Should I really tell them?'

"Sir?" Harry asked. "What was it that you wanted to tell us?" Dumbledore looked at the couple sitting before him and shook his head mentally. No, he couldn't tell them. Not yet. They were too young to know.

"As you may know, I am friends with Nicholas and Perenelle Flamel." Harry and Ginny looked at each other. Dumbledore knew the maker of the Philosopher's stone? "They are also a bonded couple. Because you are young, you may not know just what the soul bond is capable of. Therefore, I will contact them and ask them to send some books on the soul bond. One of them is one that the Flamels have written themselves. I trust that it will be very helpful for you. You shall receive them some time during the next few days."

Harry and Ginny looked at each other in awe. They were going to be learning a lot about their soul bond! "Thank you Professor," Ginny said for the both of them. Harry nodded in agreement.

"You may go now," Dumbledore concluded, effectively ending the conversation. Harry and Ginny stood up and left his office. During History of Magic, they explained to Ron, Hermione, Neville and Rose what happened to them. Hermione blushed when Harry told her what Dumbledore said about her but she continued to take notes on what Professor Binns was saying. It amazed Harry, Neville and Ron how Hermione could multitask.

"Hermione, let me borrow your notes," Ron said after the lesson. There was a 12 inch essay due on Thursday all about goblin wars. "No, Ronald! You should've taken your own notes!" Ron turned to Rose. She shook her head.

"Ron, Hermione's right. Why didn't you take your own notes?"

"Because I was listening to Harry and Ginny!" Hermione sighed. "Fine, Ron. Homework after we visit Hagrid."

Ron groaned and Hermione glared at him. "Do you want to use my notes or not?" Ron sighed and grudgingly nodded. Harry and Neville snickered and Rose smacked her brother.

"Harry!"

They quickly dumped their bags in their dormitories and headed down to Hagrid's. Inside, it was stiflingly hot. It was a cold November's day but Rose would've rather stayed outside.

"Hagrid, open a window! It's too hot in here," Ginny said to the half-giant. He shook his head. "I need it ter be this temperature, it's fer my surprise," he answered. A pot stood in the middle of the table. It was quite large. A fire was surrounding it.

Suddenly, a crack was heard from it. Neville jumped. Harry, Ron and Hermione stood up to see what was in it. Ron groaned. "Hagrid, you didn't. Seriously!"

"What?" Hermione asked. He ignored the question and turned to Ginny. "Gin, when we get back up to the castle, you might wanna send a letter to Charlie. He's gonna have to hear about this," and Ginny nodded gravely. She looked up at Hagrid, the words registering in her mind.

_'Hagrid's got a dragon egg there.' _

Harry gasped. "Hagrid, why've you got a dragon's egg? For Merlin's sake, you live in a _wooden _house!"

Hermione rolled her eyes as Neville sat back down in shock. "Hagrid, you-" Hermione was cut off as a cracking sound was heard from the pot. All of them crowded around the pot to see what was happening.

The egg had a huge crack down the middle. It split apart before their eyes and inside was an umbrella-like creature. It stretched its huge wings and made a little cooing sound before sneezing and accidentally blowing fire at Hagrid's beard. Hagrid held a cloth to his beard as a burning smell filled the hut.

"Bless him, he knows his mummy! Come on, Norbert!" Hagrid cooed, tears forming in his eyes. "Norbert?" Ron echoed in disgust. Hagrid's eyes caught something at the window behind Ron. "Who's that?"

Ginny whipped around just in time to see a blond flash turning around and running back to the school. "It's Malfoy!"

**A/N: Cliffhanger! Yes, I've just finished my longest chapter yet to all of my faithful readers! I'll try and update soon but real life in the way, even in the summer! Bye for now, I'm going to watch the Chamber of Secrets on TV! **


	23. Charlie Weasley

**Chapter 23: Charlie Weasley**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. *Throws an AK at JKR and ducks tomatoes.* **

Harry groaned. "Not Malfoy! He'll have us done!" Ron shook his head. "Not if we get there first!" The six of them quickly said their goodbyes to Hagrid and Norbert and hurried out of the wooden hut. Fang barked as they ran out, trying to go with them, but Hagrid restrained him and walked over to the window. Having the longest legs out of all of them, Ron easily reached Malfoy first and pinned him to the ground using a rugby tackle.

Gasping, the rest of the group crowded around them. Harry clutched a stitch in his side as he kneeled down beside Malfoy. "Malfoy, what the hell were you doing snooping around Hagrid's cabin?" Harry snapped angrily at him.

"I could ask you the same thing, Potter," Malfoy sneered. Ginny and Rose simultaneously kicked him in the sides. Malfoy groaned. Hermione glared at him. "Answer him! What were you doing snooping around Hagrid's cabin?"

"I followed you down there because I wanted to see what you lot were doing. You're always sneaking around, Potter, you, Potteress, Weasley, Weasleatte, Longbottom and that Mudblood." Harry's eyes narrowed at Malfoy. He had just insulted Hermione with one of the lowest words you could find in the wizarding world. Ron whipped his wand out and pointed it at Malfoy's neck.

Rose looked up to see light snow beginning to fall. She glanced at the others. As much as she liked the snow, they had lessons to go to and it was nearly curfew. "Malfoy, don't you dare ever call anyone that, _especially _Hermione, or you'll face my wrath, not to mention, Dumbledore's and everyone who is standing here's wrath. Capiche?" she spat at him.

"As for what you've witnessed today, we'll see what to do about that." With that, she gestured for Ron to let him go. Ron reluctantly stood up after pressing his wand into Malfoy's neck. He stood up and stepped to the side, brushing snow off his shoulders. Everyone else stood up. Neville gave Malfoy a glare that was so sharp that Malfoy cowered. He scrambled up and headed back to the castle, giving them a backwards glance that betrayed his emotions.

As they headed back to the castle in silence, Hermione looked at the others. "What did Malfoy call me?" They all looked at each other.

Harry looked uneasily at her."We'll explain in the Common Room." When they got to the Common Room, they found that it was completely empty. They headed over to their favourite spots by the fire and sat down.

"Well?" Hermione questioned. Neville looked at her. "It means...well, it means..." Ginny took over for him. "It means dirty blood. It's a really foul name for someone with non-magical parents. People like Malfoy think that they're better than everyone because they're what people call, 'Pureblood.'" Hermione looked at Ginny with tears in her eyes.

Rose saw her expression and quickly jumped in. "But Hermione, we're all either half-blood (Me and Harry) or Pureblood (Neville, Ron and Ginny) but you're still better than all of us put together. There's not a spell that we've heard of that you can't do. Sure, we might have magical parents, but that doesn't mean that we're better than all muggles or muggleborns. Plus, our mother is a muggleborn. She works for the Department of Mysteries, inventing new spells and potions. She invented the Wolfsbane potion, though people say a person named Damocles did." Hermione smiled at Rose. Ginny held out her arms and Hermione hugged the two red haired witches. Harry, Neville and Ron stood up and headed up to their dormitory, sensing a little bit of girl time.

* * *

Ron sat down behind the desk and took out a fresh piece of parchment. "I need to write to Charlie but I don't know what to say," he commented to the others.

Harry, who was looking over his History of Magic essay, looked up. "Start with asking him how he is and all that," he suggested.

"Then, tell him that Hagrid's got a dragon but we need to get him out of here because someone's seen him," Neville added. Ron nodded and, dipping his quill in the ink fountain, began to scribble furiously. After working for nearly 45 minutes, he stopped, put his quill down and stretched. He folded up the parchment and placed it in a drawer in his desk.

He yawned and opened his curtains. "Goodnight, Harry, Nev," he muttered sleepily. He undressed and climbed underneath the covers, basking in the warmth of the bed. There was no reply. He snuggled down and went to sleep.

* * *

Hermione laughed as Rose recounted the story of the time when she super glued Harry to his bed. "And then," Rose choked out, "Then, mum and dad come rushing in to see Harry struggling to get out of his bed! Mum waves her wand and tries to get Harry out but it doesn't work. Dad and mum both do the same thing at the same time and it still doesn't work! I was practically wetting myself with laughter. In the end, he just took his clothes off. I was grounded for a week but it was definitely worth it."

Ginny blushed as she caught herself thinking about Harry. She shook the thoughts from her head and watched Hermione. For once, she wasn't thinking about homework or school or even books. She was letting loose and enjoying herself. She looked at the clock on the far side of their dormitory and yawned.

"Come on. Time for sleep, I think," Hermione said, following Ginny's gaze. Hermione's cheeks were red from laughter. She stood up from the floor and Rose followed her. As Hermione and Rose went to the bathroom and Ginny folded up the blanket, the dormitory door opened and in came Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown, the two gossip queens of the year. They also shared a dormitory with Rose, Ginny and Hermione.

Lavender spotted Ginny putting the blanket away. "Hey Ginny, what were you doing with the blanket?"

Ginny rolled her eyes. "I was shagging it. Obviously I was sitting on it," Ginny commented. The sarcasm was not lost on the two girls. Parvati frowned. "Come on Ginny, we were only asking." Ginny sniggered and turned away. She heard Harry's laughter in her head and mentally berated him.

_'Harry, they're the gossip queens of our year! Probably the century. I had to use some sarcasm on them.' _

This time, Harry sniggered out loud as well as in her head. She rolled her eyes and headed to the bathroom.

* * *

Seamus and Dean entered the dorm to Harry's laughter. Seamus had been released from the Hospital Wing earlier that afternoon, just in time for dinner "What are you laughing about, Harry?" Harry gulped. He hadn't meant to laugh out loud but it just escaped, and at the wrong time, too.

"Er, just reading a letter my parents sent me, Dean," he invented. In essence, it was true as well. He _had_ been reading a letter from his parents, just not at that moment. He reached under his bed for a discarded piece of parchment and crumpled it for effect. He hoped that they would buy the half-lie; to his relief, they simply climbed into bed.

* * *

The next day, before Potions, their first class of the day, Ron sought out Ginny. The two of them hurriedly read over their letter and Ginny signed it, adding a few bits onto it before they would send it off to their older brother. Ginny tucked the letter away into her pocket and promised that she or one of the others would send the letter off. After a hurried breakfast, they all headed down to Potions. During Potions, Rose was called out. Snape took the opportunity to give the class more homework, on top of what they already had to do, which was to research facts about the potion which they would be brewing in the next lesson and to give in an 18 inch essay on.

It was some angry first year Gryffindors that left the Potions classroom 45 minutes later. Professor Sprout was in a jolly mood today so she gave the Hufflepuffs and Gryffindors some practical work to do. The Gryffindors cheered up slightly but they were still in a bad mood from Snape's class.

Professor Sprout, seeing the glum looks on their faces, decided to let them go early. Ginny took the opportunity to post the letter to Charlie. Harry, Hermione and Neville decided to get started on their homework, leaving the two siblings to have a little 'heart to heart.'

* * *

Just after Neville finished his Astronomy homework, Rose burst into the Common Room, panting. "What is it, Rose?" Neville asked, putting his quill down and walking towards her.

"Malfoy," she said, taking a deep breath. "He followed Ron and Ginny so I followed him." At this point, Harry and Hermione had also joined them. Rose recounted what happened, ignoring the gasps of shock and surprise.

_Flashback: Rose_

_Rose stepped out of the Hospital Wing, heaving a sigh of relief. Edwards would be fine. A fifth year Ravenclaw, Boris Edwards had taken a nasty curse full on, leaving him severely wounded. It had taken over an hour of diagnosis spells, potions and healing enchantments to stabilise the boy. For a Ravenclaw, he had done something really stupid. Rose heard familiar voices. _

_Ron and Ginny were walking down the corridor. Ginny was holding a letter so Rose assumed that the siblings were going to post the letter to Charlie. Just as she was about to call out to them, she spotted another familiar figure hurrying after them. At a closer inspection, the figure was looking very shifty, glancing left and right to make sure the coast was clear. Rose's eyes narrowed. She pressed herself against the wall, making sure that Malfoy was ahead of her before she started to follow._

_ In the Owlery, Ginny and Ron were arguing. "Yes, Ginny, I've told Charlie when and where to come, for the millionth time!" _

_"Yes, Ronald, I know, but you haven't told me where you've told him! It wasn't in the letter, so how am I supposed to know? Using telepathic powers or something? In case you've forgotten, I don't have any powers like that!" _

_"Actually, Ginevra, you have," Ron growled. "You and Harry do." Ginny's eyes narrowed and she glared at him but she didn't have a chance to say anything as Ron pressed on, "I've told him to come to the Astronomy tower at midnight on December 7__th__. He'll come with his mate's to take away Hagrid's bloody dragon. Happy?"_

_Ron didn't wait for an answer he tied the letter onto Hedwig's outstretched leg. Rose scrutinised Malfoy carefully as she watched from the shadows. He turned and ran back towards the main school. Rose quickly ran after him, ignoring her school bag as it banged against her leg. She spotted Professor McGonagall and quickly hid in the shadows. Malfoy had also spotted her but it was too late for him to stop. He skidded to a halt, almost knocking McGonagall off her feet. _

_"Sorry Professor," Malfoy wheezed. McGonagall stared at him. "And where do you think you're going, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked, glaring at the boy in front of her. _

_"I was going to the Headmaster's office, ma'am. I have to tell him something very important, it's about Potter and his friends," he replied meekly. _

_"Unfortunately for you, the Headmaster's out, away on school business. Whatever you would like to tell the Headmaster, you may tell me." McGonagall folded her arms as if to emphasise the point._

_"But Professor-" _

_"No buts, Malfoy." _

_Malfoy sighed. "That big oaf Hagrid has a dragon and Potter and his mates are trying to hide it. Weasley owled his brother and they're going to take it away on Saturday, December 7__th__ at midnight off the Astronomy Tower," Malfoy said in a great big rush. Professor McGonagall glared harshly at him. _

_"Do you really expect me to believe that, Mr. Malfoy? If you really want to get Mr. Potter into trouble, try something a little more believable." With that, she walked away, leaving Malfoy standing there. _

_"Professor, there's one more thing!" he called after her. Professor McGonagall turned around. _

_"What now, Malfoy?" _

_"Weasley was arguing with his sister and she said that she didn't have telepathic powers to talk to someone and then Weasley said to her, 'Yes you do,'" he blurted. McGonagall looked shocked but quickly covered it up. _

_"Seriously, Mr. Malfoy," she snapped. "Detention. December the 7__th__, all day." With that, she walked away. This time, Malfoy only stared after her before he snorted in disgust and stalked off, presumably all the way back to his Common Room. Rose waited to make sure that there was no one there before she turned and ran back to the Common Room to tell Harry, Hermione and Neville. _

_She was nearly at the Common Room when she saw Professor McGonagall. She was suddenly struck with an idea. "Miss Potter, if you are on your way back to the Common Room, tell Miss Weasley that I wish to speak with her." Rose nodded. _

_"Professor! I've just come back from the Owlery and something peculiar has happened. All of the owls are in a mess. Someone's done something to them!" Professor McGonagall looked concerned but nodded and hurried off towards the tower. _

"And I headed McGonagall off, told her there was something at the Owlery and she believed me but said that she wanted to talk to Ginny!" Rose finished. Ron and Ginny, who had joined them, groaned.

"This is all my fault!" Ron moaned. The others looked at him in surprise; Ron never admitted to making a mistake. "I nearly revealed Harry and Ginny's secret to Malfoy!" he continued. Neville looked confused but didn't say anything. Ron turned to his sister and opened his mouth when the Portrait opened to reveal Professor McGonagall.

"Miss Potter, I've just come from the Owlery and there's nothing wrong. All of the owls were fine!" McGonagall snapped.

"But Professor, when I was there, there was chaos," Rose replied sweetly. Professor McGonagall pursed her lips but said nothing.

"Right, down to business. Miss Weasley, can you and your brother come and see me...erm...tomorrow after class, please? There's something I wish to discuss with you." The two aforementioned nodded and McGonagall hurried out of the Common Room.

The next day, Harry, Hermione and Neville left Ron and Ginny to talk to McGonagall whilst they went to History of Magic. Ron and Ginny stood in front of McGonagall's desk like naughty school children. She led them into her office in case anyone overheard them. Once they were settled, McGonagall began to talk.

"I don't know how to say this, but Mr. Malfoy followed you yesterday when you were in the Owlery." McGonagall looked surprised at the lack of shock on the two Weasleys' faces.

"We know, Professor. I also have a feeling about what you are going to say," Ginny replied softly. She looked at her Professor who nodded.

"Well, Miss Weasley, I would just like to remind you and your brother that whenever you or any of your friends are around other students who do not know about the soul bond, you should always be very careful about what you say and what you do in case anyone finds out. Yesterday, Mr. Malfoy told me about what you were saying. You're very lucky that I covered for you, but be warned. I know that you, Miss Weasley, do not want a lot of people finding out."

With that, McGonagall waved her wand, creating passes for the two students before ushering them out of her office to their next lesson.

The rest of the week went really slowly for the six, especially for Ron and Ginny, who longed to see their brother. It had been a long time since the whole family had been together and they rarely saw Charlie as it was. He hadn't even been around for Ginny and Rose's birthday which really saddened the young Weasley.

* * *

Finally, it was time. December the 7th was here. At half an hour to curfew, Harry, Ron and Hermione headed out to Hagrid's hut. Inside, a large suitcase lay open. Hagrid ducked as Norbert shot a jet of fire at him. Hermione screamed as it grazed Ron's shoulder. He yelled out in pain and winced.

"Are you alright Ron?" Hermione asked cautiously. "If you're not, you really shouldn't carry a heavy load." Ron nodded. "I'm fine, Hermione, I think I'll be ok." Eventually, with 10 minutes left to go, Hagrid managed to coax Norbert into getting into the suitcase. He picked up a couple of things and put them in with Norbert.

"I-I've packed his favourite teddy an' a bottle o' whiskey, in case he gets 'ungry," Hagrid said thickly. From inside the suitcase, there were noises. Harry thought that it sounded like the teddy's head was being ripped off. Ron awkwardly patted him on the back with his good arm. Hagrid's sniffles turned into full blown sobs as Harry, Ron and Hermione lifted up the suitcase with a little difficulty. Hagrid picked up the Invisibility cloak and threw it onto the trio, completely covering them.

As the door opened and they walked out (with a little difficulty), Hagrid called, "Bye Norbert! Mummy'll miss ya!" Ron rolled his eyes as they walked across the grounds.

"Hagrid's absolutely mental. 'Mummy'll miss ya!'" Hermione glared at Ron. "He's just lost one of his good friends and you're calling him mental?" They were silent for the rest of the journey. They almost got caught a couple of times but they were saved.

"Now, all we do is wait," Harry said, putting down the suitcase. Ron winced as his shoulder grazed a wall. Harry waving his arms slowly to release the tension. He sat down on a step and pulled a piece of parchment out of his pocket.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Ron glared at Harry as ink seeped across the parchment, spreading lines across the whole sheet.

"You had the map all this time and you never told us?! We could've been saved from Filch or used one of the passageways to get up here," he yelled. Hermione looked from one boy to another.

"Ron, what are you talking about?" Harry turned to Hermione and quickly explained about the Marauders and their map. However, he didn't reveal their identities as he wanted them to be a surprise. Ron opened his mouth to speak but Harry shot him a look that said, 'Don't say a word.'

The silent night air was disturbed by four whooshing sounds. Harry gazed out of the window but couldn't see anything. Suddenly, the air in front of Ron rippled to reveal Charlie Weasley and three of his friends.

"Hey Ron!" Charlie greeted. He looked around and then back to Ron. "Where's Ginny?" Ron looked a little guilty.

"Actually-"

"I'm here."

Ginny stepped into the room and grinned. She ran across the room and hugged Charlie tightly. He grinned into her hair as she let go. "How did you get here?" Ron and Hermione asked incredulously at the same time. Harry smiled and looked at Ginny.

"A couple of weeks ago, before the Quidditch match, I found myself looking through Ginny's eyes. I almost didn't play but I did. I told Ginny and we've been practicing ever since. In the end, Ginny really wanted to see you, Charlie, so I just focused on the map and she's been waiting outside the door for about 10 minutes now."

Ron carefully hugged Charlie, making sure his shoulder didn't touch Charlie. Charlie noticed and frowned. "What happened to your shoulder?" Ron moved away and gestured to the suitcase.

"Shouldn't you strap ol' Norbert in first?"

One of Charlie's mates snorted. "Norbert? Hagrid called a dragon Norbert?" Hermione nodded. "That was Ron's reaction too." Harry sniggered as Ron glared at Hermione. Charlie turned. "Shut it, Bob and do what you came to do. Let me spend time with my dear brothers and sister. And their friend, of course." Bob winked at Ron and the three of them began to strap the suitcase to their brooms.

Harry turned crimson at the thought of being like another of the Weasleys and Hermione blushed at being mentioned, even though she didn't know the red head in front of her. For a couple of minutes, they chatted. Ron explained what happened to his shoulder and Charlie healed it with a spell that was commonly used on their dragon reserve. Bob whistled to Charlie and the four of them mounted their brooms and went back to Romania after saying goodbye to the four.

The four of them stood up and went back down the stairs. Ginny gasped suddenly and turned back around, running back the way they came. "Where are you going, Ginny?" Ron called after her. Ginny didn't answer but continued running. Ron got up and made to run after her but Harry stopped him.

"She's gone to get the cloak, I forgot it." Ron nodded and Hermione pulled them both into an alcove to wait and avoid being caught by any teachers. After 10 minutes, Ginny returned. "Didn't you get caught?" Ron asked. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"I had the cloak and the map, duh." Ron blushed and eyed the cloak.

"Harry, will that be big enough to cover all of us?" Hermione questioned. Harry shook his head. "Dad taught me a simple spell to make it as big as we need it to be. If we really want it, I can separate it and give you lot your own cloak if you wanted to," he said. Hermione's eyes lit up as she thought about the brains behind the magic. "Though, considering what we're doing and how late it is, I think we'll be better off with one. Plus, I've got the map." Harry tapped the cloak with his wand and said, "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." Nothing happened. Harry grinned at the looks on all of their faces.

"Nothing happened, Harry," Ginny said.

"That was just the beginning, wait a minute." He tapped it again and muttered something under his breath and added all of their names. Before their eyes, the silky cloth enlargened to make it big enough for all of them to fit under comfortably. Hermione stared at in awe. Harry hurriedly draped the cloth over them and they quickly made their way back to the tower where Neville and Rose were waiting impatiently for them.

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, my lovely faithful readers! I had a very limited time on the computer due to the fact that my eyesight is so so so so bad and my eyes are slowly getting worse. Also, my phone was confiscated so I couldn't update from there either. Hopefully, my writing will pick up speed in the next couple of weeks. Hopefully, first year will finish in another 5-10 chapters or sol. Thanks for reading! Make sure you review! **


	24. Christmas at Potter Manor

**Chapter 24: Christmas at Potter Manor**

Harry whipped off the invisibility cloak and sat down next to his sister. He quickly stuffed it into his pocket and began to explain to Rose and Neville what happened. After they finished, Rose glared at Harry and stood up. "Why weren't Neville and I allowed to come along?"

Harry sighed. He knew that he would be in trouble for this but said it anyway. "You're too young for this and we needed someone to keep an eye on you. Ron offered but then he wanted to see his brother so I said no. Also, Hermione's clever and we needed her. Neville seemed the best person to keep an eye on you," he finished.

The glare on Rose's face increased slightly. "So why did you go then?" she demanded. She already knew why Ginny went so she didn't bother to ask that question. Her hazel eyes glinted dangerously and Harry gulped. Hermione and Ginny both stood up beside Rose. "Er, well, I... they needed the cloak and map so I offered to go with them," he said very fast.

Rose took a step towards him. "Ron knows how to work the map and use the cloak, so does Ginny, and so do I!" she snapped. "Why didn't you give it to one of them?" Harry, having no answer, remained quiet. Hermione decided to vent her feelings as well.

"So you only needed me because I'm clever, did you?" she said. Harry and Ron quickly shook their heads.

"No Hermione, you're a very clever girl but you're also a good friend and... and... and we wanted you to come along," Ron said. Hermione sighed but didn't reply. Rose and Hermione both turned and went up the stairs to their dormitory. Ginny, with a fleeting glance at the three boys, turned and went upstairs to comfort her best friends. Harry looked at Ron and Neville and turned away. He picked up the map and stalked up to his bed.

* * *

For the rest of the week, the girls ignored Harry and Ron. Ginny didn't even reply when Harry tried to talk to her through their link. Neville was feeling uncomfortable with the tension between his friends but still continued to hang out with all of them (None of them had a grudge against him; he hadn't done anything wrong). At the end of Thursday, Harry was getting really pissed off at the girls, especially his sister. After History of Magic, he grabbed Rose by the arm and pulled her to one side. Once he made sure there was no one there, he let go of his sister.

"What the heck is wrong with you?" he exploded. Rose stared back defiantly, not backing down. "Ron and I have apologised to all of you numerous times, but you're still ignoring us! What do you want us to do?"

Rose faltered slightly. Then she grinned. "I want you and Ronald to be our slaves up until Christmas." Harry blanched. "That includes Neville as well because it's nothing to do with him and he had to be our messenger." Harry smiled weakly at Rose.

"Is there any way to get out of doing this?"

Suddenly, Rose was hit with an idea. "I know!" she said. She explained to him what she had thought of and he nodded grudgingly. Anything was better than being a slave. Now, he needed to find a way to convince Ron to agree to that.

Harry and Rose walked back to the Common Room to see what everyone else was doing. To their surprise, all of his friends were talking together. Ginny looked up and grinned at Harry. He gave her a questioning glance and she grinned.

_'I was listening in to your conversation and I think that that is a wonderful idea from Rose. I told the others. By the way, Mum isn't happy that we have to do Christmas at your place even though you came for ours last year. Typical Mum.' _

Harry grinned. Mrs. Weasley did that every year, and every year, Arthur Weasley had to calm her down. He shook his head and sat down next to Hermione. "Hermione, Neville, I would like to invite you and your families to Potter Manor for Christmas, if you want to come," he said to them nervously.

Hermione looked at him, assessing him. Something clicked in her mind and she grinned, wondering how he had managed to come up with an idea like that. She nodded at him and watched as a relieved look came across his face. She turned back to her conversation with Ginny. Neville immediately agreed as he and his brother lived with their Gran, and they usually celebrated Christmas with just the 3 of them, ever since his Great Uncle Algie died.

* * *

Neville and Ginny lifted their trunks and placed it onto the luggage rack. Hermione and Harry followed, chatting animatedly. Harry took the others' trunks and made space on the luggage rack, sliding their trunks neatly onto it. They all sat down and chatted to each other. Someone started a game of Exploding Snap and they all had fun playing.

When the Snack Lady came by, Harry and Rose both used their pocket money to buy everything on the cart for their friends. Hermione talked to Harry and told him that she and her parents would be arriving on December 23rd after a little holiday in France. Harry, Ron, Rose, Ginny and Neville bade goodbye to Hermione before going to their parents. Molly, Bill and Charlie Weasley were waiting for the Potters and Weasleys. Augusta Longbottom, Neville's Gran, was talking to Molly. She had a boy with her who was looking around curiously.

When Bill spotted the four of them wondering around, he gestured to them to come over. Thinking that it was for Ron, Ginny, Percy, Fred and George, Harry and Rose stayed where they were and looked around for their Mum. Ginny's voice suddenly came in Harry's head, making him jump.

_'Harry, Bill says that your dad is busy at work and your mum is looking after Tory and Dan so you're coming with us.' _

_'Ok.'_

Harry quickly relayed the message to Rose and the two of them made their way over to the Weasleys. Molly immediately pulled them into her famous bone-crushing hugs, holding them at arms' length to see if they were ok.

"Harry, Rose, your mother asked me to tell you that she was sorry she couldn't come and pick you up but we are to apparate you to the Burrow and then floo over to Potter Manor, if that's ok?" Harry nodded. Bill sent their entire luggage to the Burrow and took Ginny, Fred and Percy back, leaving Ron, George and Harry for Charlie and Rose with Mrs. Weasley.

The moment Harry and Rose got there, they immediately saw chaos. Fred had somehow managed get a gnome to eat something and it was lumbering around, yelling in pain. The other gnomes were running around, screaming at the new arrivals. One of them bit Charlie in the leg; Charlie yelled in pain and kicked the offending gnome in the back, sending him flying.

"FREDERICK FABIAN WEASLEY!"

Rose winced and covered her ears; she had been standing right next to Mrs. Weasley when she had exploded at Fred. Everyone stood there, looking like their eardrums had exploded whilst Mrs. Weasley continued to rant at Fred.

The door to the kitchen opened and Lily Potter walked out with Victoria and Daniel Potter. "Harry, Rose, where-"

She was cut off as she realised what was happening. She looked at Fred who was standing with his head hung in shame. Harry and Rose immediately hurried to their mother and gave her a huge hug. Harry carefully took his brother out of her arms and held him close. He pulled the blanket closer to his brother, covering him and protecting him against the cold. Lily adjusted her arm around Victoria and smiled.

She went over to Molly and the two of them quickly had a few words before she hurried back. Ron and Ginny said goodbye to their friends and watched them leave through the floo. Harry quickly explained the plan for Neville and Hermione. Neville would be coming over on Christmas day and then would stay for the rest of the holidays. Hermione would be there a day before Christmas Eve, and she too would stay for the remainder of the holidays.

* * *

Rose rocked her little brother in her arms and watched him slowly close his eyes. She shifted him so he was resting on her shoulder and gently supported him. She paced back and forth in front of the fireplace, waiting for James and Arthur to come back with the Grangers. James had given the entire Ministry the week off work to celebrate it with their families.

The fireplace flashed green and Hermione stumbled out. Harry, who had walked in moments before, reached out and steadied her. "Thanks, Harry," she muttered, straightening herself. Rose quickly placed Dan onto the blanket on the sofa and the three of them stood in a line, waiting to help the elder Grangers out.

The fireplace flashed green again and Harry and Hermione both reached out to catch Richard Granger. "Thanks, darling. And who might you be?"

Harry grinned. "I'm Harry Potter. My father came to get you, I think," he said. Richard smiled and shook his hand. The fireplace flared green for the last time and Jean Granger stumbled out of the fireplace straight into Rose's arms. She helped Mrs. Granger to stand upright and then smiled at her.

Hermione flew at her parents and hugged them both tightly. Jean then turned to Rose, who was holding Daniel again, and thanked her. Rose smiled brightly. A pop was heard as James apparated into the room with Arthur and Oliver, Hermione's baby brother.

James led everyone into the other room. Hermione held Oliver as Harry picked up Tory. They each sat down. Rose reluctantly put her brother in the crib as she watched Harry and Hermione chat. Rose joined in the conversation. Soon after, Hermione and Rose went up the stairs to see Hermione's room. Rose helped Hermione settle in.

As everyone lay in bed that night, Harry was talking to Ginny through their mind link. He was missing all of the Weasleys and couldn't wait for them to come the next day. They would be staying with them as well, leaving Mr and Mrs. Weasley by themselves; Bill and Charlie had to go back to Egypt and Romania.

_'Harry, when do you think we'll get those books Dumbledore told us about?'_ Ginny asked. Harry shrugged, and then remembered that Ginny couldn't see him.

_'I dunno. Probably Christmas.'_ He suppressed a yawn. _'Ginny, I'm tired, let's talk tomorrow.' _

_'Ok Harry. Goodnight.'_

_'Goodnight. Oh, and tell Ron I said hi.'_

_'Will do.'_ Harry felt Ginny leave his mind and he turned over, slowly falling asleep.

* * *

Harry saw a long red mop of hair obscuring his vision on Christmas Day. He blinked rapidly and sat up sharply, banging his head and earning a wince from that person. It could only have been one of four people. It couldn't have been his mother since her hair was even longer than this person's, and it couldn't have been Mrs. Weasley because her hair was shorter than the other redheads. It also couldn't have been Ginny since Harry knew for a fact that she was still asleep.

"Ow, Harry! That really hurt," a cross voice snapped. Harry lifted his hand to pat his sister on her head sympathetically. She moved out of his reach and stood up. Harry threw back the covers and stood up as well.

"Rose, what are you doing in my room?" Harry asked. "I came to wake you up because...It's Christmas!" she said excitedly. Harry grinned. "Now shoo. Let me get changed." Harry chased his sister out of his room and began to get dressed.

Harry sat down at the kitchen table and rested his hands on the surface. He and his sister both knew not to ask when they were getting their presents as everyone always exchanged them after dinner. Lily's back was to them, quickly spreading butter across their toast. Both of them missed the glances that James and Rose exchanged as Harry greeted his parents.

Harry perked up as he watched Tory and Dan watch him closely. Rose held Tory so she was facing Harry. Harry lifted his arm to wave at his sister. "Hello, Tory!" he said with a smile. Tory blinked and giggled. Harry felt a tingling across his arms and glanced down at them, only to find that he hadn't got arms. He had wings. Hermione walked in with her parents just as he did so.

Harry felt himself shrinking. He now had a beak! He opened his mouth to yell at his sister but all that came out were squawks. Rose and James burst out laughing as Lily turned around with the toast, only to see her eldest son replaced with a chicken.

Lily was absolutely furious at her husband and daughter. "James Harold Potter and Rosalie Lily Potter! How dare you turn Harry into a chicken! Why, I ought to turn you two into chickens for a while, see how you like it!" she exploded.

She jabbed her wand at Harry and he immediately turned back into himself. His face was red as he glared furiously at Rose. She handed Tory to her mother and picked up Dan. She gently rocked her brother who stopped whimpering.

Lily slammed a plate of toast on the table and sat down. James tried his hand at soothing her. "Now, Lily, it's Christmas, don't spoil it," he said, stroking her hand. To his surprise, she said nothing as she let her anger out.

"You're right, darling. I shouldn't have lost my temper." James gazed lovingly into her eyes as both Harry and Rose made gagging sounds. Harry grabbed the plate of toast and said, "Come on, let's get out of here." Jean took the plate of toast from him as the Grangers followed them. Harry picked up Dan as Rose grabbed Tory and the five of them (excluding Ollie, Dan and Tory) fast-tracked it out of there. Rose pushed open the door to the dining room and pulled out a chair for her brother. He set down the plate of toast and adjusted Dan as he began to eat.

Rose was hit with an idea as she swallowed the last of her toast. A jug of orange juice had appeared as they were waiting and poured herself some before expressing her idea. "Harry, why don't we take Hermione, Neville and the Weasleys cycling today? We could go along the Canal," she said. The elder Grangers looked uneasy.

"Isn't it a little cold to be going cycling? And icy?" Mr. Granger asked, rocking Ollie. Rose shook her head. "No, Mr. Gr- I mean, Richard, at Potter Manor we can choose what the weather can be like. We can change it to sunny for a while so we can go cycling and then we can change it back to normal afterwards," she replied. "Oh, and we have a canal running through the grounds behind the woods. Not exactly pleasant, but it's a good route for cycling."

Mr Granger nodded and they made their way back to the kitchen. Harry went first to see if the coast was clear and sighed in relief when he saw his parents eating their breakfast. Lily blushed when she saw Mr and Mrs. Granger and apologised for earlier.

"Dad, can Harry and I take the Weasleys and Neville out for a cycle along the canal later on?" Rose asked. James thought about it and then nodded. "Go after lunch, I'll have time to attend to some stuff and change the weather for you," he said. Rose nodded.

"Make sure you're back by dinner," Lily added and the three hurried to the sitting room with their siblings to play and chat.

* * *

Ron, Ginny, Fred and George waited impatiently for their mother to give them the go-ahead so that they could go to Potter Manor. The moment their mother nodded at them, Ron threw some powder into the fire and jumped in, followed immediately by Ginny, Fred and George. Molly sighed as she wiped the table and wrapped her cloak around her, throwing in some floo powder as well.

Percy had gone to his girlfriend's house for the day, though he didn't want anyone to know. He told his parents he was with a friend, the first time he had ever lied to his mother. Bill and Charlie were with some friends but would join them at Potter Manor later.

Molly immediately sought out Lily and gave her a tight hug, followed by Harry, Rose, Neville, Hermione and Neville's brother.

_Flashback: Neville_

_Neville glared at his brother as they walked down the stairs of Longbottom Manor towards the greenhouses located at the back of the property. His brother had hidden all of his school books and equipment, despite him not being allowed in Neville's room, and had conveniently forgotten where they were. His Gran had not been happy with his brother, thus him ending up being grounded for the rest of the holidays, save Christmas Day. _

_He found his Gran in his favourite greenhouse, waiting patiently for the two of them. Neville and his brother stood on either side of their Gran and held onto her arms. She spun around and disapparated from the greenhouse._

_The three of them landed in a seemingly empty field and saw James Potter standing there. "Hello, Augusta, Neville," he said. Then he smiled at the boy standing on Augusta's left. "And who might you be?" he asked. "The boy quickly introduced himself and James handed the two males a piece of parchment with the address of Potter Manor. After they had memorised the address, James waved his wand and the parchment disintegrated. _

_ As they were walking towards the house (the wards stretched to 100 feet on all sides of the property), Neville realised that the house was under the Fidelius Charm, a very complicated but safe ritual which allowed the safety of the occupants. At the boy's curious glance, James said, "People think that Voldemort is dead, but he isn't. I know for a fact that he's coming back and he still has followers. One can't be too careful. Plus, now that I'm the Minister, more people will want to hound me and also kill me and my family." _

_He led them inside to where Harry, Hermione and Rose were sitting. Rose was the first one to spot him. "Neville!" _

_She ran at him and gave him a tight hug. She pulled back to let Hermione and Harry greet their friend. After they had greeted him, Hermione noticed the boy. _

_"Neville, is this your brother?" she asked. Neville nodded. "Why didn't you-"she started to ask but was cut off by Neville who said, "I'll explain later." Hermione immediately became quiet. Harry turned to the boy and said, "I'm Harry Potter, this is my sister Rosalie," Rose glared at him for calling her that but he ignored her, "and this is one of our best friends Hermione Granger. What's your name?" _

_"Ben," the boy muttered. Harry nodded. _

_"Benjamin, Neville, please behave yourselves," Augusta said. "Ok, Gran," they replied in unison. Harry began to chat to Ben whilst Hermione, Rose and Neville played with the three babies. James quietly led Augusta out to see the other adults. _

_End of Flashback_

Neville grinned as he greeted Ron, Ginny, Fred and George. They all sat down and talked between themselves for a while, laughing and joking with each other. Soon it was time for lunch and Rose led their guests into the dining room.

Harry placed his brother into his cot before following them in. He sought out his father who quickly confirmed the weather change. Everyone had a perfect view of the window from the position of the table. They watched whilst the snow rapidly melted and dried.

Soon, they were finished eating. Harry led Hermione, Neville and Ben to their armour shed where all kinds of body protection was held. He led the three over to the bike protection section and helped them to find and wear the right size in helmets, knee pads and elbow pads. This took a relatively short time.

They then headed over to the bike shed where Harry quickly measured them before giving them a bike that was right for their size. All of them knew how to ride so they wheeled their bikes towards the front of the manor where everyone was riding on the small paths to pass the time. Harry realised that they hadn't got water so he called Blinky who provided them with water. Then, they headed out.

They went 2.5 miles east of Potter Manor, cycling in single file. Ben seemed to be enjoying himself, as did Fred, George and everyone else. None of them, even Harry and Rose, had ever been that far before. Soon, there was a wide opening where everyone stopped and re-hydrated themselves. Harry admired the scenery before him. Potter Manor was so big, and he didn't think he would ever get to see all of the grounds, or the building.

Hermione spotted a bush full of blackberries and begged Harry and Ron to get the group some. Harry relented eventually and Harry, Fred, George and Neville decided to go and get some. Harry scratched himself on a particularly sharp twig but he didn't register it. They cycled back slowly, not wanting to go back too quickly. The boys were the most tired of all of them so they lagged behind. Hermione, Rose and Ginny sped ahead of them, enjoying the time they had. They didn't go too far, staying within sight of the boys.

Then, it happened. Harry didn't know how but it did. One moment Rose was laughing, and the next, she was in the canal along with her bike. Hermione and Ginny screamed. "Rose!"

Harry immediately leapt off his bike, as did everyone else, and ran like he had never run before. "Move!" he yelled at Hermione. Hermione quickly stepped aside, almost toppling over, but Ron grabbed her arm. "Thanks," she said, tears forming in her eyes.

Rose thrashed about in the water, trying desperately to get herself to the shore. Despite having a swimming pool in the Manor and despite spending hours playing with Ginny, Harry, Ron and the twins in the Weasleys' stream, Rose didn't know how to swim. She yelled out in panic as she was pulled under the water.

"ROSE!" Harry yelled. As much as he fought with his sister, he still loved her and he didn't want anything to happen to her. He watched as her head was pulled underwater. He sank down onto the ground and watched with wide eyes. Suddenly, she reappeared again and he immediately sprang into action.

"Rose! Kick your legs and pull yourself towards us!" he yelled at her. She did as she was told. As soon as she was near enough, Harry grabbed one of her arms and attempted to pull her up. It didn't work. Ginny dropped her bike and grabbed her other arm. Together, they pulled her out of the water.

Hermione immediately sat down next to Rose and helped her sit up. She rubbed her back and instructed her to take deep breaths. Rose complied. Harry wrapped his arms around his sister, both Potters crying. Rose leaned into her brother and sobbed. Hermione and Ginny rubbed Rose's back while everyone else stood around helplessly.

When they had stopped crying, Harry instructed Hermione and Ginny to take Rose behind a bush and to help her dry herself off. Hermione and Ginny stood up and helped Rose up. They both led her into the woods and helped her to strain the water out of her clothes.

Meanwhile, the boys crowded around Harry. "Are you alright, mate?" Ron asked cautiously. Harry nodded. He then realised that her bike and body protection had fallen in. He took off his shirt and pulled off his watch. He rolled up his trouser legs and sat down carefully on the edge of the canal.

"Fred, could you and Ron help me get Rose's bike and her things please?" Fred and Ron answered by taking their shirts off and rolling up their trouser legs. Ben, Neville and George turned back and went to get their bikes.

Harry carefully leaned down and felt around in the water. He felt something hard and pulled it up. He almost toppled into the water but Fred steadied him and Ron helped him pull the bike out. They put it behind Ron before leaning down to find everything else. It took almost half an hour before they found nearly everything.

Harry wiped his hand on his trousers and picked up his watch to check the time. He realised that they only had an hour left to get back and they would be late if they did not stop searching. They had found her helmet and all of her protection but the bottle was nowhere to be found.

It didn't matter though; Rose was safe and that was all that Harry cared about. He picked up his watch and slipped it on. After a moment's thought, he grabbed his shirt and held it out to Rose. She smiled and slipped it on. Everyone picked up their bikes and they began to walk along the path; no one felt like riding. The boys apart from Ben opted to walk on the side nearest to the canal whilst the girls walked nearer to the greenery.

After a little while, Rose felt better enough to ride. She carefully sat down and slowly pedalled. Everyone else took that as a cue and sat down. They rode home in silence, their minds replaying the ordeal.

They arrived home with 15 minutes to spare. Lily gasped when she saw a wet Rose and a shirtless Harry. "What happened?" she asked anxiously. Ginny immediately hurried Rose inside as Harry dealt with his mother.

"If it's ok with you, can we go and get changed first?" he asked. Lily nodded but continued to look worried.

Over dinner, the children explained what had happened. Lily almost cried when they told the part of Rose going under. No one mentioned the crying, for which both Potters were grateful. Presents were exchanged over dinner and the atmosphere lightened slightly. Sirius, Bill, Charlie and a man called Remus Lupin, who was Rose's godfather, joined them. That night, the Weasleys decided to stay over, mostly to help the Potters. Neville was staying, though Ben and Augusta left after thanking their hosts for their evening.

Because of the events of the day, Harry did not get a chance to do what Rose had asked. He decided to do it tomorrow over breakfast when everyone was there. He rolled over again and groaned. He couldn't get to sleep and it was already midnight. He couldn't get the image of Rose falling into the canal and the events after it out of his head.

Closing his eyes, he slowly fell into the land of slumber.

**A/N: Thank you to all of my faithful readers who have waited for ages for this chapter. I'm sorry of the time it took but my life was very hectic and I didn't have a chance on the computer for about a week. The scene of the canal was true, and happened a day before today (16/8/13), though it obviously had a few major changes and some not so obvious. I'll leave the changes for your pretty little heads to work out, though I will say that Rose was my 9 year old brother and the person who rescued him/her was my dad. I hope you enjoyed the chapter and have a lovely week. Oh, by the way, I am still in need of a beta and haven't had ANYONE PM me yet. Thanks for listening to my LONG A/N. See you soon! **


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